Halifax Sci-Tech Expo    &    Science Fair Related Websites
Rules & Safety Regulations
December 13, 2004 

PROJECT DIMENSIONS AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

• The backboard and title board must be constructed of materials unlikely to ignite and in the presence of fire will not allow flame to spread readily or produce toxic fumes. Allowed materials are:
  • Wood/limber at least 6 mm (0.25 inch) thick
  • Sintra
  • InteFoam
  • Intecel
  • Flame Out
  • Metal
  • Plexiglass/Acrylic
  • UL-94 or ASTM E48-01-Class C approved materials with standards label affixed
• Other materials, including those sprayed with flame retardants are not allowed
  Tile material placed behind presentation information must be constructed of materials unlikely to ignite and in the presence of fire will not allow flame to spread readily or produce toxic fumes. Materials that are UL-94 or ASTM E84-01-Class C standard are allowed.
  Presentation information and any other materials must meet the UL-94 or ASTM E48-01-Class C standard.
  Laminated paper products are allowed
• Exhibits and accessories must not exceed 80 cm from front to back, 120 cm from side to side and 350 cm in height from the floor. All measurements must be made from the outermost points including framework and appendages and will be checked by the committee. Exhibits exceeding these dimensions will not be accepted.
• Exhibits must be sturdy and self-supporting; adjacent walls may not be used for support. Moving parts must be firmly attached and approved for safety.
• Glue all paper flat to the backboard, or tape all edges. A hanging collection of papers is not allowed; put them in a binder.
• One electrical outlet supplying AC110 volt 60 cycle will be supplied if requested, but exhibitors should bring their own good quality (CSA approved) extension cord. No gas or water outlets will be available. Switches and cords must be the approved variety. Cell or battery-fed circuits should be safe in design and operation. Water will be available near the exhibit hall. 
• All equipment except display tables must be supplied by the exhibitor.

GENERAL SAFETY

All projects are subject to inspection using the Halifax SciTech Expo Safety and Regulation Checklist. Serious problems arising from this inspection could result in the project being excluded from the HSTE.

• Safety to the public is a prime consideration. Suitable precautions must be taken to prevent the possibility of personal injury, property damage, and the legal action that could result from a lack of concern for safety.
• Exhibits must be sturdy with moving parts firmly attached and approved for safety. Each exhibit must be self-supporting. Electricity (AC 110 volt 60 cycle) will be supplied on request, but no gas or water outlets will be provided. Switches and cords must be of the approved variety and circuits must be protected by fuses. Cell or battery-fed circuits should be both safe in design and operation.
• All sharp edges or corners on prisms, mirrors, enclosures, and glass and metal plates must be removed or otherwise protected. The length of hoses or extension cords is to be kept to a minimum and out of the way to eliminate tripping hazards. Use tape for securing.
• Aisles and exits should not be obstructed.
• Moving exhibits (e.g., radio-controlled vehicles, robots) should be restricted to the regulation display space. The committee will endeavour to provide an area to safely demonstrate to judges projects that require more space than the regulated exhibit display space.
• The exhibit must comply with all YSF Canada animal and safety regulations as outlined under the heading Regulations, Display of Animals & Animal Parts.

FIRE SAFETY

Certain restrictions have been defined for the construction of displays to reduce the possibility of accidental fire during the fair, and in the event of fire, to allow for safe evacuation of the building.

• Combustible material must not be used near a heat source.
• Open flames must not be used.
• Smoking is not permitted in the exhibit area.
• Packing material must not be stored in the exhibit hall.

 CHEMICAL SAFETY

• No containers of toxic or flammable chemicals are allowed.
• Dangerous chemicals are not allowed - this includes prescription drugs and over-the-counter medication. Substitutes for toxic and corrosive chemicals must be used. Common salt, for example, can be used to simulate chemicals such as ammonium nitrate. Water may be used instead of alcohol, ether, and other highly flammable liquids. Molasses can be used to represent petroleum products. When chemicals are simulated, they should be labeled with the names of the substance they represent preceded by the word 'simulated'.
• No project will be penalized because the key (but potentially dangerous) components were not on display.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

• As low a voltage as possible must be used.
• A ground fault interrupter for electrical leaks and faults must be used.
• At the end of the day or the viewing period, all electrical exhibits must be disconnected, and power bars switched off.
• Only CSA-approved extension cords in good repair shall be used.
• Where practical and necessary, it is recommended that pilot lights be used to indicate that the voltage is on.
• Cord-connected electrical appliances should have a 3-wire conductor with ground or be CSA-approved.
• An insulating grommet is required at the point where the service enters any enclosure.
• Electrical devices must be protectively enclosed as far as it is practical.
• Any enclosure must be noncombustible. All non-current carrying metal parts must be grounded.
• No exposed live parts over 36 volts are allowed. Current (amperage) must be low so as not to cause any discomfort or danger if touched.
• Wet cells shall not be used because of the hazardous chemicals involved.

 STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL SAFETY

• Exhibits must be of a safe design with adequate stability to keep from tipping.
• Dangerous moving parts such as belts, gears, pulleys and propeller blades must be suitably guarded.
• Pressurized vessels should have a safety valve.
• Compressed gas cylinders are not allowed.

 X-RAY OR RADIATION-PRODUCING EQUIPMENT

• If an exhibit uses x-ray equipment or any other equipment capable of emitting high energy radiation, registration of ownership with the Nova Scotia government is required.
• Plans for structural protection must be submitted to the provincial government and approval requested, for which both the owner of the device and the owner of the building are responsible.
• A formally trained and qualified individual must be identified to exercise supervision of the operation and to take responsibility for safe performance. It will be an obligation of this individual to satisfy the Chief Safety Inspector by exposure rate measurements or other suitable documentation that the operation is safe.
• Projects involving voltages above 10 kV should be considered to pose a potential x-ray hazard.
• Lasers and x-ray or radiation-producing equipment may not be operated during public viewing periods.

MICROORGANISM SAFETY AND BIOHAZARDS

• The following hazardous biological materials may not be displayed at the Halifax SciTech Expo:
  • Radioisotopes or compounds containing radioisotopes at activities above normal background.
  • Biological toxins.
  • Microorganisms. The use of mixed cultures obtained from the environment (e.g. soils, mouth swabs) is acceptable for experimentation, but not for display.
  • Cells or tissues infected with animal or plant viruses.
• No cultures are allowed for exhibition. Photographs or simulated cultures may be used.
• Experimentation involving hazardous materials must be carried out under controlled laboratory conditions and supervision. The name and qualifications of the supervisor should be specified.
• Experimental manipulations of recombinant DNA molecules or animal viruses are prohibited.
• No plant tissue, soil or material which could decompose shall be exhibited.

 ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION – GENERAL

• While student investigations of biological processes are to be encouraged, they are subject to the same laws, ethics, and regulations as any other research. In the Criminal Code of Canada all vertebrates are afforded protection. The regulations described here, based on CWSF rules, are written in view of these laws. Animal Experimentation - Regulations

• Biological experimentation is subject to legal restrictions including, among others:
  • Criminal Code of Canada, Section 446, Cruelty to Animals;
  • Convention for International Trade on Endangered Species;
  • Canadian Wildlife Service;
  • Health of Animals Act, Bill C-66 Guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care

FIREARMS

• Any experiments involving firearms should be passed through the Halifax SciTech Expo Safety Committee to ensure compliance with the general regulations and restrictions. If necessary, The Halifax SciTech Expo will refer the project to appropriate authorities familiar with current regulations and relevant aspects regarding scientific merit, and for guidance and suggestions in performing the work.

ANIMAL AND HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION REGULATIONS

• Any experiments involving human beings and other vertebrate animals should be passed through the Halifax SciTech Expo Safety, Animal Care and Ethics Review Committee to ensure compliance with the general regulations and restrictions. If necessary, The Halifax SciTech Expo will refer the project to appropriate authorities familiar with current regulations and relevant aspects regarding scientific merit, and for guidance and suggestions in performing the work.
• Lower orders of life (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, insects, plants and invertebrate animals) can be used in experimentation to reveal valuable biological information relevant to the higher orders.
• Vertebrate animals (birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians) are not to be used in any active experiments which may in any way be deleterious to the health, comfort or physical integrity of the animals.
• Observation of wild animals, animals in zoological parks, farm animals and pets is permitted. Observation of wild animals falls within the definition of hunting (or fishing) in some jurisdictions. Students should also obtain advice and permission from conservation authorities to ensure that they are not interfering with the animals' normal lifestyle and well-being, and to ensure that their project is permissible. A permit may be required.
• Behavioral experiments with positive rewards are permissible only if the animal is not placed in a stress situation. Training an animal to travel through a maze to receive a food reward is stressful, particularly if the animal is hungry, and is therefore not permissible. However, allowing an animal to make a free choice (of food, for example) is permissible, as long as the animal is not stressed before offering the choice (e.g. by withholding food).
• Studies of chick embryos are similarly restricted to observation, without intervention with drugs or other chemicals, or manipulation of physical conditions to test the resiliency of the animal. If eggs are hatched, the chicks must be reared normally. Otherwise all embryos must be destroyed by freezing by the 18th day of incubation.
• Cells and animal parts (including organs, tissues, plasma or serum) purchased or acquired from biological supply houses or research facilities may be used in science fair projects, but should not be displayed at the fair. Evidence of the source of the materials (e.g., bill of sale) must be available at the display. The acquisition of animal parts should involve either the services of biological supply houses or research facilities, or involve salvage from other sources. Salvage from found carcasses (e.g., road kills) is discouraged due to serious health risks and other constraints.
  • If the acquisition involves salvage from a research project, where the animal has been killed for other legitimate purposes in a legal and humane manner, then the disposition to the science fair project must be part of the original research proposal, and such disposition must have been approved by the Research Committee or the Animal Care Committee of the institution involved. Reference to the original project should be made on the science project display.
  • If the acquisition involves salvage from the food industry, then the source must be acknowledged.
  • If the acquisition involves hunting, fishing or trapping, then those activities must be done in accordance with prevailing regulations, and precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of the student(s). The taking of animals other than for food, without explicit approval, can constitute cruelty. Permits for research are available from conservation authorities, and should be displayed at the project.
• Research involving human beings must involve the principles of informed consent. No human tissues or fluids are to be exhibited in a science fair project due to the associated ethics and possible health hazards. A proposal for an "experiment" of any kind involving humans must be submitted through the Halifax Science Fairs Safety, Animal Care and Ethics Policy Committee for advice from competent authorities and to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and restrictions.

DISPLAY OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PARTS

• Students working on biological projects may involve animals as outlined above. The display of any biological project is to be a report of completed work. Live microorganisms and vertebrate or non-vertebrate animals shall not be included in the display, although appropriate photographs may be available in the report.
• The only parts of vertebrate animals that may be displayed are those that are either naturally shed by an animal or parts properly prepared and preserved. Soft tissue specimens are not acceptable if they are preserved in formaldehyde, a dangerous chemical excluded under the chemical safety section of these guidelines. Sealed tissue samples on microscope slides are permissible. Thus, porcupine quills (safely contained), shed snake skin, feathers, tanned pelts and hides, antlers, hair samples, skeletons and skeletal parts are permissible, while organ and tissue samples are not. However, photos, videos or slides of organ and tissue samples may be available for viewing upon request, but may not be obviously displayed.

Science Fair Related Websites
www.ysf.ca  Youth Science Fair information, National Science Fair regulations/policy.
www.sciencefairinfo.ca  Judge’s criteria, information on science fairs, science information and student information.
www.umich.edu/~pbsgroup  Project based science information.
www.scitechontario.org  Examples of science projects, samples of evaluation forms, safety rules, checklists.

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