The use and import of asbestos has been banned in the UK for many years, but unfortunately, many asbestos-containing products still manage to find their way into the UK market on a regular basis. Boyes Turner previously reported on a case of children’s toys being sold on eBay, that story can be read here.Recently, insulated flasks available to purchase on eBay, Amazon and in John Lewis have been recalled after it was realised they contained asbestos within them.The flasks which were manufactured in China had loose-fill asbestos packed within the two insulating walls of the flask for heat retaining purposes. If one of these asbestos-containing flasks was dropped and the outer wall of the flask was cracked, deadly loose asbestos fibres could be released which could cause the fatal disease mesothelioma if they were inhaled.The flasks in question were the “1 litre Pendo flask” (picture below). The precise models being recalled are those with the barcode: 5050577588369, and the model number: O-58836.If you have one of these flasks and you suspect it may contain asbestos stop using it immediately and contact your retailer to see if your flask is a part of the product recall.
