[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.
Electrical
Hazards
All electrical equipment must be constructed
according to standard
electric safety codes. If there is doubt,
consult with the electric
shop teacher or an electrician. The city of
Chicago’s electrical code
for public exhibits requires all electrical
devices connected to the
circuits within the building to be grounded,
using type SO three-wire
conductors.
All wiring,
switches,
and metal parts carrying current must be
completely enclosed by
barriers on all sides to positively prevent
observers from reaching
into the exhibit where they might receive an
electrical shock. Exhibits
requiring electricity must have the
three-pronged or polarized
electrical plug attached to the end of the
eight foot or longer
electrical cord on all exhibits except those
using lamps only. All
electrical apparatus must have the UL label.
All electrical extension
cords needed for STEM Exhibition projects will
be provided for
exhibitors
at the City-wide Exhibition. You will not be
allowed to provide your own cord.
Doorbell push
buttons
must not be used to control 110 volt
apparatus. Use toggle or
push-button switches designed for proper load.
Non-insulated switches,
such as knife switches, will not be permitted.
All electrical joints
must be properly secured and insulated. All
electrical joints must be
permanent and soldered.
Federal
Communications
Commission (FCC) regulations are specific with
regard to
spark-discharge equipment. If equipment
containing such devices is
used, the machine must be operated so that it
does not cause harmful
interference to normal channels of
communication. The judges are
sufficiently aware of the operations to
understand what is intended
with the spark-discharge device, provided that
the student can explain
the operations in his/her own words. Do not
operate equipment until
authorized by the judges to do so.
Mechanical
Hazards
All moving parts of machines and/or electrical
circuitry must have
adequate protective coverings or guards.
Push-buttons and
levers
must be securely mounted on exhibits. They
must not be attached to
tables or walls.
|