[Student Area|Teacher Area|Judge Area]
Safety
Guidelines for Experimentation, continued
Safety is the
watchword when exhibiting at all STEM
Exhibitions. Without exception, the highest
standards of safety are required. The
following are safety measures of particular
concern.
Ultraviolet
Light Sources
Use ultraviolet light sources only during
judging and do not direct them toward anyone’s
eyes. The device must be properly shielded.
Biological Hazards
Cigarettes and tobacco may not be displayed.
Clean, empty packages and filters are allowed.
No live or
preserved invertebrate or vertebrate animals
may be exhibited. All vertebrate projects,
including those dealing with humans, must have
an approved Vertebrate Animal Endorsement. See
the section of this site for rules regarding
animal experimentation.
It is imperative
that students not be exposed to any bacteria
that are considered pathogenic and for this
reason two rules are very strictly enforced:
(1) No display of wild cultures*/fungi
although they may be used if incubated at or
below room temperature and (2) No cultures
taken from humans or other warm-blooded
animals may be used. This includes, but is not
limited to, skin, throat, mouth, or other
areas.
Students who
wish to do projects involving some
microorganisms (protozoans, bacteria, fungi,
yeast, and molds) must obtain prior approval
from the Scientific Review Committee. The
request form, printed in the current Handbook,
must be completed and sent to the address
listed. If permission is granted, an approval
form will be signed and sent to the student.
The form with the approval must accompany the
student’s research summary at all STEM
Exhibitions. Students in grades 9-12 are
highly encouraged to request and complete
forms required by the International Science
and Engineering Fair (ISEF) prior to
experimentation as well. Only students
completing the required forms will be
considered for ISEF. These forms are NOT
included in this booklet. They are to be
requested. If a pathogenic organism is used,
ISEF requires the following forms: Checklist
for Adult Supervisor; Research Plan (1A);
Approval Form (1B), if work was conducted in
an institutional or industrial setting at
anytime during the current ISEF project year,
Registered Research Institutional/Industrial
Setting Form (1C) must be com-pleted;
Qualified Scientist Form (2); and Designated
Supervisor Form (3). The deadline for seeking
approval is November 15 of the academic year
of the Fair. If the organism being used is
listed on the “Approved
List of Organisms", approval IS NOT
NEEDED for IJAS but is needed for ISEF.
*Wild culture
- organisms grown in their natural habitat and
often mixed with various species.
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