On Saturday, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said four products sold by Kmart - the 14-piece sandcastle building set and the blue, green and pink Magic Sand sets - tested positive for tremolite, a form of asbestos associated with higher cancer risks at low exposure levels.
The findings expand an already significant recall that began last week, when rainbow sand products used widely in schools and childcare centres were found to be contaminated. The brands are EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg) and Creatistics Coloured Sand (1kg).
It said the board had decided to be cautious "due to additional sand products being recalled for possible trace asbestos".
"We apologise for late notice, but received further communications from the Ministry of Education this evening," Mr Marsh said.
"On Thursday last week I collected sand in sealed containers and delivered it to Scope (Asbestos experts) for testing. The results should be through tomorrow. We also have Kmart products, and other brands, aside from this initial batch. This will all be tested to be sure.
"Due to a number of classrooms being affected, and having limited space due to our renovations as it is, we will be closed for Monday. This will be reviewed by the Board on Monday afternoon.
Please ensure you check emails and Hero for further announcements."
Meanwhile, some schools in Canterbury are also closed for testing.
In posts to Facebook, Burnside Primary School, Clearview Primary, and Waitaha School said they had become aware recalled sand products had been used in their schools and were closed today as a precaution while tests were done.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment product safety spokesperson Ian Caplin said he understood how alarming the discovery would be for families.
"We appreciate that the presence of asbestos in products that are used by children will be concerning to parents and caregivers. We urge families who have purchased these products to stop using them immediately, secure them safely, and contact your local council for advice on where and how to dispose of the contaminated material safely.
"If you are a workplace, where you may have higher volumes of these products or more people may have come in contact with the products, you should contact a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist for immediate advice and support on your specific situation.
"A list of these is available on the WorkSafe website."
The contaminated Kmart products include:
- 14-piece Sandcastle Building Set
- Blue Magic Sand
- Green Magic Sand
- Pink Magic Sand
Previously recalled sands from Educational Colours and Creatistics are:
- EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg)
- Creatistics Coloured Sand (1kg)
- Allied Media and RNZ
