Office for Product Safety and Standards
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has warned businesses that testing finished products is not, on its own, an acceptable way to demonstrate that toys are free from asbestos.
The announcement, published on 20 July 2026, follows a rising number of product recalls linked to asbestos contamination in consumer goods - particularly toys containing sand. OPSS has reminded businesses that they must be able to show a sand-containing toy is safe before it is placed on the UK market, not simply certify it afterwards.
What OPSS is asking for
The regulator's position is that businesses need robust supply chain assurance. Product testing can form one element of that assurance, but it cannot be the whole of it. Companies are being told to review their supply chains, act on any risks they identify, and keep evidence that demonstrates their products are free from asbestos contamination.
Where asbestos is found in a product, OPSS expects immediate action to protect consumers, including withdrawal or recall where that is warranted.
OPSS Chief Executive Graham Russell said parents should be able to "trust that the toys they buy for their children are safe", adding that the recent recalls had caused concern and that government would hold businesses to account for having the right checks and controls in place.
Why this matters to the asbestos sector
The contamination route here is naturally occurring asbestos in mineral sand - tremolite and actinolite are common contaminants of talc and other industrial minerals - rather than the manufactured asbestos-containing materials that dominate UK survey and removal work. But the announcement is significant for NORAC members for several reasons.
It broadens the definition of "asbestos work" in the public mind. Consumer product contamination sits outside CAR 2012's duty-to-manage framework and falls to product safety legislation and OPSS rather than HSE. Clients and the public will not necessarily make that distinction, and consultants can expect enquiries about imported goods, craft materials and play sand that fall well outside their normal scope.
It creates demand for analytical capability. Identifying trace amphibole contamination in a bulk mineral sample is a different analytical problem from identifying ACMs in a building fabric, and typically requires methods beyond standard polarised light microscopy. Laboratories asked to support supply chain assurance work should be clear about what their UKAS accreditation actually covers before accepting instructions.
It reinforces the case for competence and evidence. The regulator's core message - that a single test result is not a substitute for a documented, defensible assurance process - will be familiar to anyone working under CAR 2012. It is the same principle that underpins survey planning, sampling strategy and the management of asbestos registers.
Further information
Businesses can read the OPSS advisory note on assuring the absence of asbestos in sand-containing toys, and consumers can find recall information and advice through the government's asbestos in consumer products guidance.
