Hazardous Chemicals, Activities or Devices

Parts of these rules are taken from the Intel ISEF International Rules & Guidelines

Includes this partial list:

(Form 3 is required for all of these projects)

Strong acids & bases
DEA-controlled substances
Prescription drugs
Alcohol & tobacco
Firearms & explosives
Radiation
Lasers

The Metro Richmond Science Fair allows students to conduct experiments using hazardous chemicals or devices (including strong acids and bases, firearms, lasers, radiation, etc.) as long as they are properly supervised and follow federal, state & local regulations. All of these regulations, including those of the school division, are designed for the protection of the students. Hazardous activities are those which involve a higher level of risk than what students would normally encounter in their daily life.

If a student's experiment involves hazardous activities, chemicals or devices he/she does not have to submit a research proposal to the SRC before beginning the experiment. However, they must be working with a Qualified Scientist or a Designated Supervisor who is familiar with the experiment, is aware of the potential hazards involved and who discusses safety concerns with the student before the experiment begins. The student and his or her supervisor must conduct an official Risk Assessment (Form 3) before the experiment is started.

Projects will be reviewed by the SRC after they are submitted in February and must show evidence of direct supervision. Both the Research Plan (Form 1A) and the Synopsis must give details on the safety precautions used in the experiment.

The following rules apply to all projects in this area:

All hazardous activities and the use of hazardous chemicals or devices must be directly supervised by a Designated Supervisor, or in the case of DEA-controlled substances, by a Qualified Scientist.
A risk assessment must be conducted by the student and the Designated Supervisor or Qualified Scientist before experimentation. It is best for this to be conducted as soon as the procedure is developed so that any necessary changes can be made to ensure safety. The risk assessment must be documented on Form 3, the Risk Assessment Form.
Students must obtain and use any regulated substances in accordance with all local, state and federal laws. Contact the appropriate regulatory agency (see list below) for information on the regulations.
If the student's research requires a Federal and/or State permit, then the permit must be obtained before the experiment can begin. A copy of the permit must be available for review on the Fair set-up day.
Students must design experiments to minimize the impact of the experiment on the environment. Using minimal amounts of chemicals and disposing of them in an environmentally safe manner are to be encouraged.

Additional Rules for Specific Regulated Substances

A. DEA-controlled Substances

Controlled Substances, as defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration, are:

drugs or other chemicals that have the potential to be addictive or habit forming.

These substances are divided into five Schedules based on their usage. See http://www.drs.uiuc.edu/css/guidesplans/dea for more information on their classification and use.

A Qualified Scientist, who is licensed by the DEA for the use of controlled substances, must supervise the experiment if a student is working with DEA-controlled substances.
All projects using DEA Schedule 1 substances must have the research protocol approved by the DEA before experimentation begins. It is not necessary to obtain DEA approval for studies involving Schedule 2, 3 or 4 substances.

B. Prescription Drugs

Special care must be taken if a student is using prescription drugs in an experiment since these substances are regulated by law. They are available only through a pharmacy and a trained Designated Supervisor must oversee the project.

Students are not allowed to give prescription medicines to a human subject.
All appropriate vertebrate animal rules must be followed if the experiment requires giving prescription medications to a vertebrate animal. The oversight of a veterinarian is required.

C. Alcohol and Tobacco

The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates the production of alcohol and the distribution of alcohol and tobacco products. Since many of these products have an age restriction on their purchase, possession and consumption, a Designated Supervisor must be responsible for acquiring them and directly supervise their use in the project as well as the proper disposal at the conclusion of the study.

The production of ethyl alcohol (wine or beer) is allowed in the home, but only under the direct supervision of the parents. The procedure must also meet the TTB home production regulations.
Yeast fermentation experiments in which very small amounts of ethyl alcohol are produced in the home are OK. A Designated Supervisor should fill out Form 3 before the experiment is started.
Students are allowed to conduct science fair experiments that involve the distillation of alcohol for fuel production or other non-consumable products. These experiments must be conducted at school, however, and a TTB permit must be obtained by school authorities. See the TTB web site in the Sources of Information below.

D. Firearms and Explosives

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with state agencies, regulates the purchase and use of firearms and explosives. A firearm is defined by the Intel ISEF as "a small arms weapon from which a projectile is fired by gunpowder". The Intel ISEF definition of an explosive is "any chemical compound, mixture or device, the primary purpose of which is to function by explosion", and include, among others, the following:

dynamite
black powder
pellet powder
detonators
igniters

Potato guns are not considered firearms unless they are used as weapons. These should be treated as hazardous devices but do not require a permit.

Firearms may not be purchased by minors. Proper state certification is required before any firearm may be used. Students planning on using firearms must first check Virginia regulations.

Additional rules are as follows:

Projects involving firearms and explosives are allowable when conducted with the DIRECT supervision of a trained Designated Supervisor. The project MUST be in compliance with all federal, state and local laws.

A fully assembled rocket motor, reload kit or propellant modules containing more than 62.5 grams of propellant are subject to the permitting, storage and other requirements of federal explosive laws and regulations.

E. Hazardous Chemicals, Devices & Radiation

For additional information on projects involving these types of hazards see "Risk Assessment" below.

Risk Assessment

All of the above projects require that a Risk Assessment be conducted with the assistance of the Designated Supervisor. The Risk Assessment Form (Form 3) must be completed and submitted with the synopsis upon entry into the Fair. For more detailed information on conducting Risk Assessments for each type of hazardous project click on the link above.

Sources of Information:

Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, 1995

Washington, DC; American Chemical Society

http://pubs.acs.org

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

MSDS should be available in the lab for all chemicals. Additional information can be found at: http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index.html or

http://www.flinnsci.com/search_MSDS.asp

Howard Hughes Medical Institute:

online course on practicing safe science, including sections on general lab safety, chemical safety, etc.

http://www.practicingsafescience.org/

PUB 8-1.7 – Guidelines for Laser Safety and Hazard Assessment

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=1705&p_table=DIRECTIVES