Most people have already encountered asbestos-containing materials.

It can be found underfoot, overhead and in the walls of homes, schools and offices.

When it’s incorporated into materials such as cement or tile, it’s generally harmless, according to Environmental Specialist Frank Messina, with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

“As long as it’s sealed in place, it’s not dangerous,” he said.

But because demolition and renovation can release dangerous asbestos fibers, the Bend-La Pine Schools are taking steps to remove asbestos-containing material before construction projects at several schools.

This winter, crews will remove tile and insulation containing asbestos at Westside Village Magnet School in Bend prior to renovating classrooms, according to Steven Paulsen, a certified asbestos inspector with Paulsen Environmental Consulting Inc.

Asbestos is a strong, durable and heat-resistant mineral that breaks down into tiny fibers, invisible to the naked eye, according to the DEQ’s Web site. Airborne fibers, if inhaled, can cause lung diseases, including cancer.

Paulsen said asbestos can be found in more than 3,000 items, generally building materials.

“You can find it in adhesive, flooring, Sheetrock, plaster, the texturing,” he said. “It can be in ceiling tile, ceiling texturing, lots of things. Even certain fireproofing-type paint.”

All the schools in the district built prior to 1990 have some level of asbestos in them, mostly in the floor tiles, according to Paul Eggleston, director of facilities.

A federal law passed in 1987 required all schools to identify all asbestos-containing materials within the building to protect students and staff, particularly maintenance staff, Messina said. The DEQ regulates, primarily, the removal and disposal of any material that contains more than 1 percent asbestos by weight.

Any asbestos-containing material in schools that was “friable,” meaning it can be crumbled or crushed by hand, had to be removed, Eggleston said.

“Any that was non-friable, or not open to the general public, those are noted in there and we’re allowed to manage them in place, which means keeping people out, keeping it covered up and only allowing certain work done in there,” he said.

The district office and each of the Bend-La Pine schools maintain a public document that identifies the asbestos-containing material within the school and the steps being taken to protect students’ health, Eggleston said.

An array of precautions kick in whenever asbestos must be removed from a school, Paulsen said.

At Westside Village, the removal site will become off-limits to students and staff, he said.

“When they’re (removing) the floor tile, the entire building will be put into what’s called a negative pressure enclosure,” Paulsen said.

In an area under negative pressure, any leak will only allow in, not out. Negative air pressure prevents anything airborne from escaping.

“All the doors will be sealed with 6-millimeter thick plastic, and we’ll have HEPA filters going,” he said, referring to high-efficiency particulate air filters. The filters will maintain the air pressure and capture any asbestos fibers that may escape.

Asbestos-containing insulation in the walls will be removed, soaked in water and double-bagged by workers wearing respirators and protective gear, Paulsen said.

Air samples are taken after the asbestos is removed as an extra precaution, Paulsen said. The samples must be clean before students, staff or the general public are allowed back into the work site.

The material is sealed and covered on its way to the landfill, and must be buried by at least two feet of dirt before the end of the business day, Paulsen said, to prevent sunlight or the elements from breaking down the bag. Landfills must then record the location where asbestos materials have been buried.

“The regulations are strictest on schools, so most schools don’t have asbestos hazards anywhere,” Paulsen said.

Messina said that most cases of asbestos exposure occur when a homeowner decides to remodel a house and begins to rip out walls without checking if they contain asbestos.

Single-family dwellings do not have to be inspected for asbestos before remodeling occurs, he said. And while most building materials manufactured in the U.S. are now asbestos-free, imported products may still contain asbestos.

“Some people think, ‘Asbestos, oh, that’s a long time ago,’” Messina said. “That’s not the case.”