The College of New Jersey Logo

Apply     Visit     Give     |     Alumni     Parents     Offices     TCNJ Today     Three Bar Menu

  • Home
  • /
  • Colored Powder Activities

Colored Powder Activities

If your organization plans on holding an event that includes powered or colored based activities (such as Holi or Color Run) your event will need to be reviewed and approved by the Office of Occupational Safety & Environmental Services (OSES) to ensure for Stormwater compliance.  It is recommended that your organization begin this planning process no less than two months before the event date.  As part of your event planning, please consider the following guidelines: 

 

  1. Event Location: 
    1. All powdered or colored based activities must be completed on the grass AND away from any stormwater drains and/or inlets.  
    2. There are 3 campus locations that have been approved for use: 
      1. Metzger Lawn: The grass lawn between Trenton Hall, Campus Town, and the Business Building 
      2. Cromwell Lawn: The grass hill between the T/W Volleyball court, New Res, Cromwell and Decker
      3. Lakeside Lawn: The Grass space behind ABE and Nors.
      4. Green Lane Field: The practice fields on Green Lane 
    3. Most other spaces on campus do not work due to storm drain locations or proximity to campus buildings. 
    4. Please use Bookit to request your space. (Booking a rain date is suggested)
    5. All requests must be considered in the context of other events using the space afterwards. Areas used may have colored powder residue left behind until the rain can disperse it into the grass, which could have implications for other events/activities held in the area by others following the event.
    6. Your organization should be prepared to discuss with OSES methods for minimizing tracking of materials from the event area to alleviate the possibility of these materials being introduced directly into the stormwater system, onto walkways, into buildings, flower beds, etc. 
    7. Your organization should also plan to have a method to ensure that all participants have fill out a waiver for participation. (Fenced off area with a designed entry/exit location).   
    8. Please work with the Office of Student Involvement to produce a waiver for all participants to use before participating and to discuss insurance coverage. 
      1. Cornstarch powder when dispersed in the air can be flammable so this activity would need to be in a location with no smoking, no open flames, or other ignition sources. 
      2. Powders may cause a cornea abrasion, students could wear sunglasses for eye protection.  Some of the products in the powders are nuisance dusts that are more likely to affect individuals with asthma or other respiratory considerations. 

 

  1. Product: Consider what product your organization will be using.  All colored powders being used must be cornstarch based and utilize food grade dye/coloring.  The exact Material Safety Data Sheet will need to be provided to OSES and approved through the NJDEP prior to purchase and use.   

 

  1. Approval: Reach out to the Office of Occupational Safety & Environmental Srvs (609/771-2353) to get approval of the event.  The exact proposed location, date, time and duration of the event would need to be detailed when you reach out to them. Please also include methods you will use to contain the powder and prevent its spread across campus. This should include cleaning stations, intentional staging away from buildings or streets, and ways to keep students from tracking powder onto sidewalks and into buildings.  Depending on the location on campus, there may be other campus use approvals required.  

 

For questions related to the Student Organization powdered or colored based activities Guidelines, please contact involvement@tcnj.edu.

Top