Some people take out their hamster's sand baths, but I believe most of us leave ours in there so our hams can use them whenever they so desire. It is just a personal preference although it does have a tendency to get extra messy with a Syrian digging through the sand so keep that in mind. I would suggest having a large enough container for your ham to play in the sand and fully enjoy it. The sand should be a fine, low dust Chinchilla sand that you can find at many pet stores. I personally use the Kaytee Chinchilla Bath Sand. Some hams use their sand bath as their potty. If that is the case, please be sure to sift the top layer out to ensure that the sand isn't contaminated with urine which can cause health issues over time. When I first introduced my Syrian to her sand bath, she did this. Thankfully, she now uses a separate ceramic potty all together so I don't have to change out my sand as often. I hope that this helps.
