News Archive

A well-informed commentary uploaded to a Dutch news portal on March 23, 2026 said that the EU’s Safety Gate, a European warning system for consumers, was in chaos. The EU database, administered by the European Commission, was dismally failing to keep up with dozens of product recalls from multiple countries issued in recent weeks. There was, said journalist Richard Clevers no one-stop-shop for consumers to check whether imported toys and playsets for children were free from asbestos contamination. See: Chaos rond asbestspeelgoed: overal waarschuwingen, nergens overzicht [Chaos around asbestos toys: warnings everywhere, no overview anywhere].

Contamination in Sand Product

Mar 26, 2026

In a press release issued on February 26, 2026, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency confirmed that tests undertaken by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health had found chrysotile and tremolite asbestos fibers in an unspecified children’s product purchased from AliExpress. The identity of the toxic Chinese export was subsequently disclosed in an article entitled: Asbestos found in magic sand in Finland (https://www.is.fi/taloussanomat/art-2000011844394.html) as Wordpad QIYI, a toy which had been recalled in the UK as well as the EU. See: Tukes tested children’s sand products – asbestos found in one product.

Precautionary Advice for Play Sand

Mar 26, 2026

Following international news regarding asbestos contamination of play sand, hobby and decorative sand, magic sand, kinetic sand and sand in various other toys such as stretchy figures and play tables, the Norwegian Consumer Council advised consumers not to use any of these products. The Council was engaged in a program to test random samples of high-risk products, especially those manufactured in China which had previously been identified as contaminated. See: Advarer mot lekesand: «Ikke la barna leke med det» [Warning against play sand: “Don't let children play with it”].

Online Mesothelioma Resource

Mar 26, 2026

On March 19, 2026, a new text published by Italy’s public institution that manages compulsory insurance against workplace accidents and occupational diseases (INAIL) was uploaded – entitled: Asbestos and Mesothelioma: Psychological Impact and Distress Assessment. The document was intended to highlight the need for psychological as well as medical support for mesothelioma patients and their caregivers. Within the manual there were two versions of the Mesothelioma Psychological Distress Tool, one for patients and the other for caregivers; this unique clinical tool was “built specifically to assess the psychological impact of mesothelioma.” See: Amianto e mesotelioma: impatto psicologico e valutazione del distress [Asbestos and mesothelioma: psychological impact and distress assessment].

Unbelievable!

Mar 26, 2026

Earlier this month, it was reported that a Brazilian Court had unanimously confirmed the conviction of an unnamed company which had been found guilty of causing the asbestosis death of a worker. The Court denied the defendant’s application to exhume the body of the deceased in order to extract samples “to prove that the cause of death was smoking” and not workplace asbestos exposures. The Seventh Panel of the Superior Labor Court increased the compensation award for moral damages to R$150,000 (US$28,280), due to the seriousness of the case and the history of similar lawsuits against the company. See: Justiça nega pedido de exumação para definir causa da morte de trabalhador [Court denies request for exhumation to determine cause of worker's death].

Recommended New Online Resource

Mar 26, 2026

A 54-minute documentary uploaded on February 17, 2026 entitled “Asbestos is a bigger problem than we thought” is a very useful resource for people with no knowledge of the asbestos hazard as well as those who have spent years studying it. The narrator tells a coherent and detailed story of the history of the deadly industry, the multiple ways it built asbestos markets, suppressed opposition and manipulated the government. While much of the content is US-based, the facts revealed are pertinent worldwide. The evolution of the 1% rule to protect industry stakeholders prompted one commentator to write: “The 1% rule is wild. Imagine if a restaurant served you a meal that was 1% raw sewage and told you it was ‘sewage free.’” Highly recommended. See: Asbestos is a bigger problem than we thought.

More Asbestos Recalls

Mar 25, 2026

On March 18 & 20, 2026, a further ten toys were withdrawn from UK markets because they presented “a risk to health as the sand included in the set may be contaminated with a quantity of asbestos.” The UK regulatory body – the Office for Product Safety Standards (OPSS) – reported that units already sold of these products had been recalled from end-users by the manufacturer (KTL) and seller (AliBaba). They included: squishy and stretchy toy figures, balloon dog toys, a science kit and a wooden sand toy. See: GOV.UK website. Search for Asbestos Recalls.

Worthwhile Initiative in Ontario

Mar 25, 2026

The Canadian Province of Ontario recently launched an online occupational exposure registry (OER) portal where concerned workers can record details of workplace exposures to asbestos and 10 other hazardous substances. This is the first such initiative anywhere in Canada and is “designed to prevent workplace-related diseases and provides users with a long-term record for medical assessments and future compensation.” According to an official study (2020), fewer than 10% of Ontarians with occupational cancers receive compensation for their injuries. See: Occupational exposure registry a first in Canada.

Help or No Help?

Mar 25, 2026

The article cited below detailed a rather confused situation for school officials in New Zealand facing unspecified remediation costs due to their use of asbestos-contaminated play sand. Insurers are, said the Education Ministry, expected to cover decontamination work at individual schools but in some cases funds might be made available from an $8 million pot of government money reserved “to help schools fast track day-to-day maintenance.” More than a hundred schools had applied for government funding for asbestos removal work. See: About $8 million available to cover asbestos sand clean-up costs, document indicates.

Victory in Bari!

Mar 25, 2026

Last week, Italy’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) was ordered to recognize the 2024 mesothelioma death of naval mechanic Marshal Francesco Pantaleo, who had, for decades, been exposed to asbestos on board MoD ships. As per the ruling of the Bari Court, the MoD will pay the deceased’s family compensation of €285,000 (US$330,355) in addition to monthly allowances for his widow and children. The judge noted that Pantaleo was routinely exposed to asbestos especially in engine rooms where “maintenance activities generated real ‘clouds of harmful dust…’” See: Militare pugliese morto per amianto riconosciuto vittima del dovere [Apulian soldier [serviceman] killed by asbestos recognized as a victim of duty].

Precautionary Advice!

Mar 25, 2026

In a March 6, 2026 upload to the website of the Danish Consumer Council (Forbrugerrådet Tænk), consumers were advised that following the precautionary principle neither children nor adults should use play sand. Tests were being conducted in Denmark following discoveries in Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia of asbestos contamination in play sand especially items “produced in China.” Amongst the toxic toys identified were: colored play, hobby and decorative sand, magic sand, kinetic sand, sand-filled stretch-fidgets and squeeze figures and sand play tables. See: Asbest i legesand: Sæt legen på pause, indtil produkterne er undersøgt [Asbestos in play sand: Pause play until the products are investigated].

Vermont Asbestos Mine: The Legacy

Mar 25, 2026

A 25+-minute podcast uploaded on March 19, 2026 told the story of a former asbestos mine in Vermont which in the 1930s accounted for 100% of all the asbestos produced in the US. The remnants of a century of asbestos mining are 30 million tons of toxic tailings dominating the landscape. For decades local people, state and federal authorities fought over the hazard posed by this waste and its proximity to the town of Belvidere. For now, no resolution has been found and the pragmatic solution adopted revolves around keeping the asbestos waste contained within the fenced-off industrial site. See: A Vermont asbestos mine shut down in the '90s. Then came the real fight.

Another Asbestos Recall!

Mar 23, 2026

On March 16, 2026, New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) issued an alert over toxic toys which had been sold between September 9, 2025 and January 10, 2026 at City Beach. The products in question were part of the HTI Stretcherz Slammerz range. According to the MBIE notice: “the ‘sand’ inside the products may contain asbestos.” See: HTI Stretcherz Slammerz sold at City Beach.

Asbestos Debate in Parliament

Mar 23, 2026

An adjournment debate secured on March 16, 2026 by MP Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab) highlighted the injustice of government rules which marginalized thousands of asbestos cancer victims every year. The injured are people who contracted lung cancer due to workplace asbestos exposures. Under the Compensation Act 2006, people with mesothelioma “could recover full compensation from any one negligent employer, even if other former employers or their insurers cannot be traced” people suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer could not. To remedy this injustice, the MP urged Parliament to act expeditiously. See: March 16, 2026 Adjournment Debate Asbestos-related Lung Cancer: Compensation Act 2006.

Toxic Toys: Update

Mar 23, 2026

While much of Europe has been in turmoil in recent weeks over reports regarding the sale of asbestos- contaminated toys, there has been no mention of this growing scandal in the country where the products originated: China. With that in mind, the article cited below which detailed the growing public outrage in the Netherlands is a rarity. The text reported mixed results from testing of dozens of products and said that the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority’s final conclusions will be released in “a few more weeks.” See:【荷兰】荷兰媒体炒作儿童玩耍用沙不安全，问题有初步结论 [[Netherlands] Dutch media are hyping up the safety concerns surrounding children's play sand; preliminary conclusions have been reached].

Toxic Toys: Interim Results

Mar 23, 2026

On March 13, 2026, it was reported that the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) found asbestos in 34 of 99 products tested during an investigation into play sand toys. In the vast majority of cases, this involved “very small quantities.” The items recalled to date included: Sand art in a glow-in-the-dark bottle; Colored sand; Sensory wooden blocks filled with colored sand; Blue decorative stones; High-quality cream-colored decorative sand (750 grams). According to a spokesperson for the European Commission “all recalls of Chinese products are shared with the Chinese authorities.” See: NVWA: Asbest in speelzand in 1 op de 3 producten, maar in lage concentraties [Asbestos was already found in ‘Glow Sand Art’ in an AD investigation weeks ago].

Medical Treatment: Update

Mar 23, 2026

Medical researchers in London are pioneering a major research project – HIT-MESO – to examine “whether proton beam therapy (PBT) can significantly improve survival for patients with mesothelioma…” This is the first randomized PBT clinical trial in the UK. The clinicians are optimistic about achieving a significant improvement in survival rates. According to Dr Crispin Hiley, chief investigator of the trial: “Proton beam therapy allows us to deliver high-dose radiation far more precisely, sparing critical organs like the heart and healthy lung.” See: UCLH and UCL researchers trial proton beam therapy in bid to transform treatment for mesothelioma.

Spring Asbestos Offensive

Mar 23, 2026

The top headline article currently on the website of the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) – a Belgium-based trade association backed by global asbestos vested interests – targeted campaigners in Malaysia who had called on their government to take urgent action on the asbestos hazard and ban its use. The content of the text rehashed standard pro-asbestos rhetoric and alleged that in Malaysia, as in other countries, “activists, supported by well-endowed foreign militant organizations” had pressured the Government to outlaw asbestos use without any scientific or medical evidence supporting their arguments. See: Why should Malaysia ban chrysotile asbestos when there is no scientific evidence of any negative impact on human health, or the environment?

Urgent Call for Government Action

Mar 18, 2026

On March 14, 2026, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) called on the Malaysia government to ensure that all play and craft sand products sold in the country were free from asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen. The author of the open letter Mohideen Abdul Kader, the President of CAP, reported recent product recalls and market withdrawals in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom of play and craft sand products after laboratory tests had found asbestos contamination. “Unsafe products,” he concluded “threaten lives and undermine fundamental consumer rights, and children should never face preventable risks from toys or craft materials that are assumed to be safe.” See: LETTER | Addressing asbestos risks in children's play and craft sand products.

Asbestos Contamination of Toys and Playsets

Mar 18, 2026

The article cited below, which was uploaded to an Indian news portal on March 8, 2026, took as its point of departure a commentary published on the website of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) – this website! The text highlighted growing concerns in multiple countries of the hazard posed by discoveries of asbestos contamination of children’s toys and play sets. As there was no author’s name on the article, it seems likely it was written by AI. Nevertheless, it appears to be a fairly accurate summation of the IBAS March 5, 2026 article: Global Challenges, National Responses. See: Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps.

MCCAA Urgent Toy Recall

Mar 18, 2026

Last week, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) issued a public warning after finding asbestos contamination in seven toys and children’s play sets sold in Malta which contained kinetic or decorative sand. The items recalled were made by HTI Toys, Addo Play Ltd. and Orb Toys, and included products sold in the Stretcherz range of toys, Out to Impress sand and candle making sets, and the Orb Funkee set of rubber animal figures. End users were urged “to immediately halt usage” and return the recalled items to the retailers. See: Consumer authority recalls kinetic sand toys due to asbestos contamination.

Asbestos Convictions!

Mar 18, 2026

On March 6, 2026 two Midlands companies – Sohan Group Limited and Maize Metals Limited – and site manager Ali Raza Baig were found guilty of asbestos infringements by breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. The charges related to work undertaken at a Staffordshire demolition site in September 2023. The companies were collectively fined £88,300 with costs of £9,017.65. Baig was sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for two years; he received a three-month curfew order and was disqualified from being a director for five years. He was ordered to pay costs of £5,899. See: Two companies and site manager prosecuted following large-scale asbestos disturbance.

Victory on Shikoku Island

Mar 18, 2026

On March 13, 2026, the Takamatsu District Court of Japan ordered three building material manufacturers to pay a total of 24.81 million yen (US $155,775) to the families of three construction workers who died of cancer contracted following workplace asbestos exposures. At a press conference after the ruling, one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers said: “This is the first ruling in Shikoku to recognize the responsibility of building material manufacturers, and therefore it is of great significance.” See: アスベスト訴訟　建材メーカー3社の責任を認めて総額2481万円の賠償命令　高松地裁 [Asbestos lawsuit: Takamatsu District Court recognizes the responsibility of three building material manufacturers and orders them to pay a total of 24.81 million yen in compensation].

Asbestos on the Underground

Mar 18, 2026

The link below is to a thoughtful and provocative commentary on the plight faced by injured workers trying to obtain compensation for occupational asbestos exposures suffered whilst employed by Transport for London (TfL) – the “statutory transport authority responsible for London's public transport network and main roads.” Whilst the case discussed related to the unacceptable experiences of John Smith, whose claim was dismissed out of hand, across the network there were hazardous close encounters on a daily basis. Between 2002 and 2024, TfL has paid out £7,034,813.25 in compensation and legal fees for asbestos claims. See: Transport for London denies Station Manager’s asbestos exposure.

EU Asbestos Recalls

Mar 16, 2026

On March 5, 2026, the Safety Gate Alert system of the European Union (EU) reported the mandatory recall of products containing colored play sand that may “contain” asbestos. The Moxy painting sets featured characters from well-known children’s cartoons including: Peppa Pig, Stitch and Paw Patrol. All the items were exported from China and many were sold via online platforms including bol.com – “the leading online marketplace and retailer in the Netherlands and Belgium.” The tests reported by the EU regulatory agency showed that “The play sand contains asbestos fibres (measured value up to 2% by weight). Asbestos could cause cancer.” See: Alert number: SR/00665/26 - Sand Art Activity Toy.