Petrochemical Manufacturer NOVA Chemicals Fined $130,000 for Worker Injury

Published By DPRJ Universal | Published on Monday, 26 January 2026

NOVA Chemicals Corporation received a $130,000 fine, plus a 25% victim surcharge, after a contract worker was seriously injured by hot water discharge at its Corunna, Ont., facility on May 7, 2024. An investigation revealed that protective barriers were absent from the scaffold and exhaust stack, and workers lacked essential safety information for intermittent blowdown operations. The company was found in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to provide adequate instruction and supervision.

Calgary-based petrochemical manufacturer NOVA Chemicals Corporation has been penalized with a $130,000 fine, alongside a 25% victim fine surcharge, following a serious workplace injury at its Corunna, Ontario, facility. The incident, which occurred on May 7, 2024, involved a contract worker from Kel-Gor Limited who sustained severe injuries from hot boiler feed water. The worker was on a scaffold adjacent to an Intermittent Blow Down (IBD) drum exhaust stack when hot water was discharged during a cleaning procedure.A subsequent investigation by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development uncovered two critical safety failures. Firstly, it was determined that neither the scaffold nor the IBD stack was equipped with necessary shields or barriers to protect workers from hot liquid discharges. Secondly, the workers operating on the scaffold were not provided with essential information or procedures for safely conducting work near the IBD drum exhaust hood during such intermittent blowdown operations. These findings led to the conclusion that NOVA Chemicals failed to provide adequate information, instruction, and supervision to safeguard its workers from the inherent hazards associated with intermittent blowdown processes. This omission was found to be in direct contravention of section 25(2)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The additional victim fine surcharge will contribute to a provincial fund supporting victims of crime.