The online listings
An online offer for free roofing sheets described the material as containing “low grade asbestos”, according to Roofing Today. The publication reported on 25 September 2026 that the listing advertised “Big 6 Roofing Sheets” for collection. It was among offers identified by industrial disease lawyer Ryan O’Hara.
A separate advertisement offered roof sheets without declaring whether they contained asbestos. O’Hara said their condition and the circumstances of the offer raised concerns about their composition. The report did not establish that those sheets contained asbestos. It included screenshots of offers on Facebook Marketplace.
O’Hara believes some people offering the materials are trying to avoid hazardous waste disposal charges. He estimated that passing sheets to someone else could save those listing them several hundred pounds, or potentially thousands. That was his assessment of the likely incentive, rather than a confirmed account of the sellers’ motives.
He said exemptions from the restrictions on supplying asbestos materials were very limited. Anyone relying on one would need a Health and Safety Executive exemption covering the particular item. His warning addressed homeowners as well as traders offering second-hand building products.
The risks when sheets are handled
O’Hara challenged the suggestion that asbestos cement roofing is harmless because it is less friable than some other asbestos-containing products. Roofing Today identified this as a misconception among some DIY users, who may compare cement sheets with sprayed asbestos or asbestos insulation board.
The solicitor said cutting, breaking or drilling asbestos cement sheets could release microscopic fibres. Removal, transport and installation could also create a risk where the material was handled without the correct precautions. The danger arises when airborne asbestos fibres are inhaled.
O’Hara has almost two decades of experience in mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease claims. He said he had dealt with numerous claims involving asbestos cement roofing sheets. Some of his clients were only now experiencing illness following exposure many years earlier.
He also warned that a free advertisement could give a recipient the impression that a product remained legitimate to trade. An offer appearing on a public marketplace was not evidence that the material was safe or lawful to use, he said. He rejected the idea that any type of asbestos could be regarded as safe.
The continuing toll of past exposure
The UK’s full asbestos ban took effect in 1999. However, Roofing Today reported that symptoms of asbestos-related illness can take between 10 and 60 years to emerge after fibres are inhaled. That delay means exposure from decades ago continues to cause disease.
The publication cited HSE figures recording 2,146 mesothelioma deaths in the latest annual statistics. It also reported that more than 5,000 deaths each year were linked to the wider consequences of past asbestos exposure, including lung cancer and asbestosis. The article did not identify the reporting year for the mesothelioma total.
Mesothelioma is a terminal cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Symptoms described in the report included persistent or sharp chest pain, breathlessness caused by fluid around the lungs, a persistent dry cough, fatigue and unexplained weight loss.
Where the disease affects the abdominal lining, symptoms can include abdominal pain, swelling caused by fluid or tumours, nausea and vomiting. These effects form part of the continuing health consequences behind O’Hara’s warning about the circulation of old building materials.
Roofing Today also reported an estimate that 1.3 million tradespeople remained at risk of disturbing asbestos in older properties. Its account highlighted online DIY trading groups as a route through which homeowners could encounter materials previously used in buildings.
The call to remove offers
O’Hara called for the online listings to be removed and urged people not to accept free or cheap second-hand roofing sheets of this kind. His advice was directed at people seeking materials for home renovation as well as those offering unwanted sheets for collection.
The warning preceded International Mesothelioma Awareness Day on 26 September. The day highlights the effects of asbestos exposure and commemorates people who have died from the disease. O’Hara said the issue should not be treated solely as a historical workplace problem, because decisions about existing asbestos-containing materials can create exposure today.