LTB 168/26 - CWU AWARENESS OF RECALLED PRODUCTS DUE TO ASBESTOS HAZARD RISKS

Angela Wright CWU Branch Communications Officer
Jun 8
2 min read

No. 168/2026

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

CWU AWARENESS OF RECALLED PRODUCTS DUE TO ASBESTOS HAZARD RISKS

In the last week, the UK office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) updated its recalled list of products due to asbestos related risks. In total, 127 toy items and play items have now been recalled since January 2026. Several major retailers including Tesco, Matalan, Asda, Hobbycraft, B&M, Argos, and Aldi have been involved in product recalls from August 2023 through to May 2026.

Asbestos in consumer products – GOV.UK

Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls – GOV.UK

In December 2025, urgent recalls were issued in Australia & New Zealand after tremolite, and chrysotile asbestos contamination had been found in toys imported from China. The affected products were sensory play sand, craft sand and kinetic sand. In 2026 in the UK and other European countries product recalls included colored sand, sand pictures, sand playsets products, and stretchy figurines.

The CWU understands that the UK’s Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have little or no testing capacity – recalls are based on self-reports from importing companies or manufacturers. There is currently no publicly available information about the percentage level of contamination in the products recalled in the UK.

The latest ‘multiple items’ OPSS recall from 7^th May includes Novelty Doorstops

The latest OPSS product safety recall alert issued on the 7^th of May indicated a list of thirty-five products presenting a risk to health, as the sand inside the doorstops may be contaminated with a quantity of asbestos. Corrective action being, that these products have now been withdrawn from the market and recalled from end users by Dunelm. Even though this latest recall is classified as ‘Decorative articles/Homeware/Garden ware – Ornaments’ it has been noted that some of these items clearly do resemble toys in appearance and may attract child play activity.

The latest product recall sheet is attached with images alongside this LTB, with the aim being to assist CWU members in familiarising themselves with the latest recalled items. There are five other OPSS recalls for this month alone just for toy products.

CWU guidance going forward.

It is advisable to check purchased items for CE/UKCA marking, manufacturer details and safety information.
Be cautious of products with no traceability.
Buy from reputable suppliers.
Choose suppliers with clear safety information, established quality assurance processes, and transparent sourcing.
Familiarise yourself with the latest OPSS product safety alerts (website link above)