Hazardous Activities or Devices

MOST IMPORTANT: You MAY need formal PreApproval by our SRC before you may begin your research. It depends on how substantial the risks are!

• Our SRC (Scientific Review Committee) is a committee that reviews proposed research projects for ethics and safety.

• Risks and safety precautions will be listed on Form 3 AND in the Research Plan's subject-specific items for HCAD.

  • Safety precautions will ALSO need to be incorporated into the Research Plan Materials List and Procedures as appropriate.

  • All relevant safety sources will always be listed on Form 3 (question #5) AND again in the Research Plan Bibliography.

• IMPORTANT: Almost every single project submitted will need at least one round of revisions before the SRC approves it. Use the info below to pre-empt the most common issues! But please factor this into your timeline when planning your project. 

The deadline to submit your project to our SRC for project PreApproval is 10/25/2024. Exception: AP Research students have a separate deadline of 11/22/24 to follow the CollegeBoard course timeline. Earlier submission is STRONGLY encouraged.

Working On/Around Bodies of Water - Requires formal PreApproval by our SRC.

• If you are planning to be in/around a NATURAL WATER BODY:

  • In Florida, there is always a risk of wildlife in natural water bodies. Always have appropriate supervision and have someone with a way to call for emergency help. FWC has good wildlife safety tips.

  • Cyanobacteria (freshwater) or red tide (saltwater) can create harmful algal blooms that create toxic conditions. Before sampling water or working in/around natural bodies, you MUST check the bloom report before you go to that location on that day. If the area has an active bloom, you may NOT sample that day or visit that location that day.

    • Check the bloom reports here: cyanobacteria (freshwater) report by DEP, red tide (saltwater) report by FWC.

  • Boating requires a safety-certified (or licensed) boat driver. If the student researcher is driving the boat, you will be required to attach to your project file a copy of your boating safety certification. You would also need to detail the safety precautions you will take regarding boating (life vests, communication equipment, etc).

• If you are planning to be IN the water (POOL OR NATURAL):

  • Drowning is one of the most common causes of death or injury for youths. It is crucial to document that you understand these risks and have planned for adequate safety precautions. Depending on the situation, you may be required to obtain a full committee approval, and you may be required to have a medical professional present in case of emergency.

• If you are planning to be AROUND a POOL:

  • State clearly that you will not enter the pool during the research. Acknowledge that if someone fell in, there is a drowning risk and summarize safety precautions based on a pool safety source like this one (or something similar).

Other Common Hazardous Activities - These require formal PreApproval by our SRC.

• Drones: You must follow FAA rules (nicely summarized in Florida's SSEF Rules Supplement) and drone safety precautions based on a source like this one. Also, legally, many drones must be registered with the FAA.

• Soldering: Be aware of burn risk and fume risk! Check out this sample Form 3 for soldering. 

• Projectiles: Consider your own safety as well as the safety of observers/passersby:

  • Firearms: This must be conducted on a certified range under the supervision of a certified range office (attach copy of certification) and following all laws and safety requirements.

  • Archery: This must be conducted on a certified range under the supervision of a certified range office (attach copy of certification) and following all laws and safety requirements.

  • Pressurized gas canisters, stomp rockets and similar: Be sure to document how you'll protect yourself: safety goggles/glasses, distance from launch, preventing passersby from going in the landing zone, etc. Keep in mind the size/strength of your projectile system in determining appropriate safety precautions!

  • Catapults, marshmallow launchers, etc: Be sure to document how you'll protect yourself: safety goggles/glasses, distance from launch, preventing passersby from going in the landing zone, etc. Keep in mind the size/strength of your projectile system in determining appropriate safety precautions (a plastic spoon-catapult launching a marshmallow needs a different level of consideration than "pumpkin chunkin" does)!

Hazardous Devices 

• This one is easy: Read. The. Manual.

  • Product manuals have great safety information in them. Read the manual, cite the manual as your safety source, and summarize the precautions onto Form 3 and the Research Plan.

  • If you no longer have the product manual, google it! Many manuals are digitized and available online. If not, you can contact the company to request an emailed copy. 

  • If you really can't get the manual you need, try to find something similar online, or a general safety tips article (for example: chainsaw safety).

  • ALWAYS REMEMBER: Those safety precautions are usually assuming adult use. You will ALSO need to add adult supervision, appropriate to the risk level of the device!

• If the device is YOUR prototype, then consider the components as well as how they work together. Try to predict ways that it could go wrong, places it could break, and what might happen if it did: Would there be risk of injury or fire? What PPE would reduce that injury risk? Do you have a fire extinguisher in the room and/or fire blankets? Do you know when to use a fire extinguisher vs a fire blanket?

  • Check out this safety source for inspiration: https://www.acefire.co.uk/fire-extinguishers-vs-fire-blankets/

DISPOSAL RESOURCES: 

Many students struggle with finding appropriate guides for disposal of chemicals or devices used during their science and engineering projects. Below are some resources to guide students in appropriately disposing of these items after use:

Batteries:

• Cite-able Infographic: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2015. "Florida Homeowner’s Guide to Battery Recycling and Disposal." Accessed 10/5/2018 from https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Battery-Fact-Sheet_09Dec15.pdf

• The gist:

  • For one-time-use (NON-rechargeable) alkaline batteries, throw them in the trash.

  • For NON-rechargeable lithium batteries, tape the terminals and throw them in the trash.

  • For all other batteries (rechargeable, car batteries, battery "packs," cell phone batteries, laptop batteries), bring them to the Seminole County waste disposal Transfer Station at 1950 State Road 419, Longwood, Florida 32750 during business hours (Mon-Sat, 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM).

Over-the-Counter and Prescription Medications:

• Cite-able source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2018. "Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know." Accessed 10/5/2018 from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/safe-disposal-medicines/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know#8

• The gist: 

  • Either drop off unused meds (OTC and prescription) at a National Take Back Day approved collector--such as on October 27, 2018 in Seminole County--or dispose of as follows.

  • Disposal guideline #1: ONLY if the container says to immediately flush leftovers down the toilet, do so. This is a very small number of medications and highly regulated, so it is extremely unlikely this would be appropriate for a science fair project.

  • Disposal guideline #2: MOST MEDICATIONS (OTC and prescription) - (1) Mix unused medications (don't crush them) with an unappealing substance like coffee grounds or cat litter in a sealable container like a plastic bag, then throw the container in the household garbage. If it was a prescription, black out your name and prescription number and throw the container away.

Hazardous Chemicals:

• Cite-able source: Seminole County Environmental Services Department. "Household Hazardous Waste." Accessed 10/5/2018 from https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/environmental-services/solid-waste-management/residential-collection-guidelines.stml/ 

• The gist:

  • For most hazardous chemicals, you'll need to bring them to the Seminole County waste disposal Transfer Station at 1950 State Road 419, Longwood, Florida 32750 during business hours (Mon-Sat, 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM).

  • If Seminole County won't accept them, ask them for a referral of a company who will.

Living Organisms:

• Invertebrate animals:

  • You may NOT release invasive species into the wild, even if you found them there.

  • You may NOT release purchased or cultivated-in-captivity organisms into the wild.

  • You may NOT release individuals into the wild if they were exposed to experimental treatments.

  • Usually, you'll be choosing a non-release disposal method for invertebrates.

• Vertebrate animals:

  • You may NOT kill or harm a vertebrate animal for your project!

  • You may NOT release invasive species into the wild, even if you found them there. If you capture an invasive vertebrate animal (feral pig, lionfish, pythons, brown anoles, certain frogs, etc.), contact Florida Fish and Wildlife and let them know that you are NOT allowed to euthanize it; ask them what to do/where to take it.

  • Can't keep the vertebrate animals afterward? Make plans BEFORE you start about who will accept them. You can ask friends (for pets), pet stores, or veterinarians for advice.

• Plants:

  • If working with invasive species of plants, you may need a permit! Check the FLEPPC list for letters in the Government column, and if there are any contact this office about permits: FDACS Division of Plant Industry for Noxious Weed Permits.

  • . You may NOT release invasive species into the wild, even if you found them there.

  • Typically you'll place invasive land plants in sealed plastic bags and then dispose of them in the household garbage. (Florida's State Rules Supplement, 2018)

  • Aquatic plants should be frozen for at least 24 hours or dried completely before being disposed of in the household garbage. (Florida's State Rules Supplement, 2018)

  • Non-invasive land plants can usually be disposed of with landscaping waste or in compost. But if they were subjected to experimental treatments, they should be sealed in plastic bags and placed in the household garbage.

Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents:

• Cite-able source: ISEF Rulebook.

• Reminder, you may NOT do these projects at home, only in a BSL-approved facility (check the BSL-1 and BSL-2 checklists for requirements).

• BSL-1 organisms:

  • This includes most molds, yeasts, fungi, and bacteria for science fair projects.

  • Usually, you'll soak anything that came in contact with the organism in 10% bleach solution (mix 1 part household bleach with 9 parts water) for at least 20 minutes, then throw the disposables away and wash the reusables.

• BSL-2 organisms:

  • This includes any bacteria that you've given antibiotic resistance genes, any bacteria from meat/eggs/milk that didn't come from a grocery store or restaurant [non-pasteurized and/or non-regulated], bacteria from human or animal waste, unknown bacteria where the Petri dish was opened after the initial culturing, bacteria with most recombinant DNA technologies, or a variety of other things spelled out in ISEF rulebook.

  • Reminder: Middle school students are NOT allowed to do BSL-2 projects. (Florida State Rules Supplement, 2018)

  • Usually, you'll place anything that came in contact with the organism into an autoclave. The autoclave should run at 121 degrees Celsius for at least 20 minutes. After autoclaving, disposables should be thrown away in the garbage, and reusables should be washed and stored. Table surfaces should still be disinfected with 10% bleach (as stated above) before and after. 

Documentation for Hazardous Activities and Devices Projects

• Research Plan 

  • For the subject-specific items for HCAD, summarize the risks and safety precautions for each major risk.

  • Your materials list should ALSO include any PPE or safety equipment you mention.

  • Your procedure should ALSO include the steps for putting on PPE or any other safety precautions you said you'd take.

  • Your bibliography MUST include a safety source to address each major risk (these should match the sources on Form 3).

• Form 1A note: If your project required formal PreApproval by our SRC, the "Actual Start Date" MUST be AFTER SRC approval (the date will appear on Form 1B).

• Form 3 

  • List out the risks and safety precautions for each major risk. This will all be repeated in the Research Plan--that's okay, safety is important!

  • Cite a safety source to address each major risk (these will also go into the Research Plan Bibliography).

  • Try to summarize and use concise wording. But if your project has a LOT of risks, and it just can't fit on one page (and still be legible), you will need to have multiple Form 3s. All of them need to be signed/dated, and they cannot be "addenda" word documents. If you have multiple Form 3s, make sure that one risk's precautions, safety, etc are all on the same page.