Several Tasmanian schools have closed their doors after coloured sand used in classrooms was found to potentially contain asbestos.
More on this story: Numerous Tasmanian public schools to close due to asbestos-contaminated sand
The Friends School, The Hutchins School and St Michael’s Collegiate School announced closures on Monday night.
They join Northern Christian School in Bridgewater, which was the first to shut around 4pm Monday after confirming recalled sand products had been used on campus.
Catholic Education Tasmania has implemented full closures at six schools and partial closures at three others across the state.
The Friends School is closing its early learning, primary and middle school areas on Tuesday for “precautionary cleaning, review and safety checks”.
In an email to parents seen by Pulse, Principal Esther Hill said “current national guidance considers the health risk to be low” and that “respirable asbestos fibres have not been detected in any tested samples”.
The Hutchins School has shut its Early Learning Centre and Junior School, while St Michael’s Collegiate School has closed its Early Learning Centre, Junior School and Outside School Hours Care for Tuesday.
Full closures are in place at Corpus Christi Catholic School in Bellerive, Sacred Heart Catholic School in Geeveston and St Brigid’s Catholic School in Wynyard.
St John’s Catholic School in Richmond, St Peter Chanel Catholic School in Smithton and St Cuthbert’s Catholic School in Lindisfarne are also closed.
Partial closures are affecting Sacred Heart College in New Town (Kindergarten to Year 5 closed), St Aloysius Catholic College in Kingston (Kindergarten to Year 4 closed) and Immaculate Heart Catholic School in Lenah Valley (Kinder and Prep).
“Our communities can be confident that we are acting quickly, carefully and in alignment with professional guidance,” Catholic Education Tasmania executive director Dr Gerard Gaskin said.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently recalled several children’s coloured sand products sold between 2020 and 2025 after testing identified naturally occurring asbestos in multiple imported items.
The affected products were sold through Kmart, Target and Officeworks, as well as various educational suppliers.
More than 80 retailers nationwide stocked one or more of the impacted items.
Brad Parker from WorkSafe Tasmania issued an urgent safety alert on Friday, warning that while “the immediate risk from unopened products appears low, disturbing the sand increases the potential for fibre release”.
Northern Christian School has engaged licensed asbestos assessors and expects to reopen next Monday, pending clearance.
Affected schools are expected to provide further updates to parents in the coming hours and days.
