Source: Radio New Zealand
The latest coloured sand products to be recalled over asbestos fears. Supplied
The lack of a full and proper tally of how many schools are testing positive for asbestos from coloured play sand has stunned principals and a teachers union.
Initially, RNZ was told by the Ministry of Education that no count was being kept.
It was later able to provide what it said were incomplete figures after its minister, Erica Stanford, said a tally was being kept by the ministry.
Nine schools or early learning services have so far returned positive asbestos tests, while 39 have returned negative results.
Results for another 129 are either not known, or still being waited on.
The Ministry of Education cautioned the figures were based on voluntary reporting and therefore “should not be taken as a full picture”.
“Schools and early learning services are not required to report testing or share results with the ministry, as their immediate priority is keeping students, children and staff safe,” operations and integration leader Sean Teddy said.
But others said a complete picture was exactly what was needed and that there should be a full and official tally.
“This is shocking, it really confounds me that the ministry has not got more of a handle on this situation,” Principals’ Federation president Leanne Otene said.
“The guidance has been ambiguous and it has made it really difficult for schools to respond consistently and confidently,” she said.
Principals’ Federation president Leanne Otene. Supplied
She said principals have acted with appropriate caution and prioritised health and safety when commissioning testing at their own cost.
“But that has not been alongside clear, consistent messaging from the Ministry of Education,” Otene said.
“I am absolutely blown away that we have not been given more direct guidance on ensuring that we keep adequate records of when we have sent any product in to be tested, and the results of those tests, and we have not been asked to write incident reports that can be then presented to the ministry, to be put into our school boards’ meetings so that in 30 years, in 20 years, in 10 years there’s a record of action that that school took in relation to the advice and guidance and the results of those tests.
“I’m really concerned that there is no advice around that,” Otene said.
Trying to find how many schools have tested positive
RNZ asked ministries and the agency involved in the ongoing play sand recalls for overall numbers on how many schools and early learning centres had got tests.
It also asked for how many positive results had been returned.
WorkSafe said it did not hold information on test results in educational facilities.
“The Ministry of Education is best placed to advise how many schools or early childhood centres are responding or actions taken,” it said.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment had a similar response.
“This responsibility would sit with Ministry of Education,” it said.
The Ministry of Education initially said no count was being kept.
“We are not keeping a register of the number of tests commissioned by schools or early learning services, nor have we requested to be advised of the results of the tests they may commission,” it said.
RNZ then asked Education Minister Erica Stanford about her ministry not keeping a record of positive results.
“My expectation is that’s exactly what the ministry is doing. They have been out in the regions with all of their regional managers contacting every single school and I have been getting daily updates on which schools have it, which ones are open, which ones are closed, which ones need cleaning, so we have all that data and it is my expectation that the ministry is holding it and tracking it,” she said.
Education Minister Erica Stanford. RNZ / Mark Papalii
When RNZ said the ministry had said there was no register, the minister said, “Well, I’ve got that information so I’ll be happy to give it to you.”
Stanford’s office then referred RNZ back to the Ministry of Education, which earlier said there was no central register.
It was then that it was able to provide the figures on the information it had, warning it was incomplete and not a full picture because it was based on voluntary reporting.
Why is a count of positive tests important?
Terri-Ann Berry is an associate professor at AUT and also board chairperson of the Mesothelioma Support and Asbestos Awareness Trust.
She said having a central register was important, and the lack of one was very concerning.
“We can’t undo what has already happened unfortunately, but what we can do now is we can start looking at providing good evidence so that if anything in the future does happen, if anybody does develop any symptoms, that we can actually have good notes and reporting to be able to get ACC funding to help with any treatment,” she said.
Berry said there was no understanding at the moment of how likely it was that children have inhaled the fibres.
“I really think it’s important that we do actually find a way to bring a list together, there really should be some action plan to my mind where we’ve got systematic testing so that we actually know what the situation is and it doesn’t just rely necessarily on the voluntary test,” she said.
“All that tells you is that nine schools have got a positive result, and those parents are probably understandably worried, but what about all the other schools? Just because there is no result doesn’t mean that there isn’t a contamination, so no I don’t think the voluntary system is enough in this circumstance.”
Stephanie Mills, the NZEI national secretary, was also critical of a voluntary approach to reporting.
“It is a failure of regulatory systems, and so it is not good enough to take a voluntary approach when we are dealing with asbestos which is a banned substance, which causes long term illness to people, to which we’re now exposing children and teachers and other educators,” she said.
“I don’t think we have seen a responsible enough approach from government centrally, and what we now need is to know more but we also need to put in place steps so that this does not happen again.”
Coloured sand recalls now at five
Another children’s sand product was recalled on Thursday, the MIKI Sand Art Set, of which 570 were sold in 2023 between July and December.
According to MBIE, it is supplied by Australia-based Sax International.
The ministry said testing had found unidentified mineral fibres that were consistent with asbestos.
The other products with recalls were the Rainbow Sand Art Toy, the 380g Craft Sand, the 14-piece Sand Castle Building Set and Blue, Green and Pink Magic Sand from Kmart, and Rainbow Sand and Creatistics products.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
