“I thought I was going to die”: Sarnia worker describes life-altering injuries after steam blast at NOVA Chemicals

More than a year after a workplace accident at NOVA Chemicals, Sarnia tradesman Jason Gibson describes the injuries and trauma that continue to shape his life.

What began as a routine job on a boiler pipe at the NOVA Chemicals facility in Corunna turned into a moment that Jason Gibson says will haunt him for the rest of his life.

The Sarnia man, a union painter who had worked in the industrial sector for nearly three decades, says he was standing on scaffolding performing maintenance work when a valve was opened nearby, releasing a torrent of superheated water and steam directly onto him. Within seconds, he was violently forced on to his back and scorched.

“It came down on me like Niagara Falls,” Gibson said.

The blast struck the top of his body with immense force, and scalded his skin immediately through his coveralls.

“I remember getting shot off the scaffolding onto my back,” he said. “I got up and ran for my life as the hot water and steam expanded very fast. I couldn't see anything but white steam.”

The force of the blast also knocked Gibson off the scaffolding where he had been working. He says he fell down two levels of scaffolding, about 20 feet, before crashing onto a metal platform below.

In the moment of the fall, Gibson says he believed he might not survive.

“I thought I was falling to my death,” he said.

He struck the metal platform hard before scrambling to his feet and running blindly through the cloud of steam.

“I couldn't see nothing but white steam,” he said.

“I was in so much pain and very scared. I thought I was going to die.”

More than a year and a half later, the injuries from that day still shape every part of his life.

A routine job that turned into a disaster

Gibson had worked as a union painter in Sarnia’s industrial sector for thirty years.

He joined Painters’ Union Local 1590 in 1997 shortly after finishing high school. Over the years he worked at multiple industrial facilities across the region, including repeated jobs at the NOVA Chemicals site.

On May 7, 2024, he was working for Kel-Gor Limited at NOVA's Corunna facility.

According to Gibson, he had been issued a safe work permit to perform maintenance on a pipe connected to the plant’s boiler system. 

As part of routine maintenance, workers periodically remove water from the system to prevent scale buildup, corrosion and the accumulation of impurities. This process is called intermittent blowdown, where valves are opened to release boiler feed water from the system to assist in cleaning.

The incident occurred when a NOVA employee manually opened a valve connected to the boiler feed pipe while he was still positioned up the tower and working in the area.

Superheated water and steam surged down the structure where he was standing.

Gibson says the force of the blast knocked him from the scaffolding.

“It felt like I was being power washed on the top and back of my head and down my back,” he said.

Photos taken after the incident show severe burn injuries across his head, neck, back, and arms.

“I suffered second-degree burns to the top and back of my head, my neck and my back,” he said.

The burns were only part of the damage.

In addition to the burns, the 20-foot fall left Gibson with significant physical injuries.

He says he suffered a concussion during the fall, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. Since the incident he experiences frequent dizziness and short-term memory loss, making it hard to perform daily tasks. Jason is now worried he will no longer to be able to live alone, and will require continuous support to maintain a degree of independence at home. 

In the months following the incident, Gibson says doctors diagnosed nerve damage, muscle damage and neurological issues that continue to affect him daily.

“I have headaches every day,” he said. “I get dizzy often and I have short-term memory loss.”

He also suffered musculoskeletal injuries from the fall.

After more than a year of physiotherapy, doctors told him the muscle damage in his lower back and hip is permanent. 

“They said my damaged muscles will never get better.”

A father whose life changed overnight

Before the accident, Gibson says his life revolved around work and family.

He is the father of three children. His daughter was born in 1999, his first son in 2002 and his youngest son in 2017.

“I always put my kids first,” he said. “They mean everything to me.”

When he was not working, he spent time with them swimming at beaches and pools, visiting parks, and attending local events.

Those activities are now difficult.

“I’m not physically active with my kids like I was,” he said.

The accident also left lasting psychological trauma.

Gibson says he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) months after the incident.

Simple daily routines can trigger intense anxiety.

“I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack every time I take a shower,” he said.

He says the feeling is tied to the memory of the scalding water that struck him during the accident.

“I don’t like being in water anymore.”

Living with the trauma

Gibson is currently receiving treatment funded by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

In December of 2025, he was admitted to Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, where he has been undergoing intensive mental health treatment and physiotherapy.

The program is designed to help patients recover from severe trauma and chronic psychological distress. Doctors there are attempting to address both the psychological impact of the incident and the ongoing physical pain that followed.

So far, Gibson says the recovery has been slow.

“The doctor here said I haven’t made any improvements,” he said.

Sleep remains one of the most difficult parts of his recovery. Despite being prescribed medication to help him rest, Gibson says the nights are often interrupted by pain and recurring memories of the accident.

“I get sleeping pills every night but I keep waking up,” he said.

The images from that day remain vivid.

“This plays in my head daily,” he said. “I get nightmares about dying in my accident.”

Missing milestones

Being away for treatment has meant missing time with his family.

While receiving care in Guelph, Gibson missed his youngest son's ninth birthday.

“I’m missing my youngest son's birthday being here,” he said.

When he is in Sarnia, he lives with his 23-year-old son in their apartment and shares custody of his youngest child.

Even basic daily tasks are now harder than they once were.

“I have a hard time doing things at home since the accident,” he said. “But I try because I love my kids a lot.”

A career brought to an end

For nearly three decades, Gibson built his life around the local trades.

Doctors have now told him he may never return to work.

“My family doctor says I will probably never work again,” he said.

The loss of his career has been devastating. Despite a strong desire to return to the workforce, Gibson says he is not physically able to do so. 

“My career is destroyed.”

Under Ontario’s workplace injury system, workers injured on the job typically receive compensation through WSIB but are generally unable to sue employers for pain and suffering.

Gibson says that reality has been difficult to accept.

“They pleaded guilty and paid a fine,” he said, referring to the provincial offences case related to the incident.

“But nothing came to me for pain and suffering.”

Responses from involved parties

The Sarnia Journal contacted NOVA Chemicals, Kel-Gor Limited, and representatives of Painters’ Union Local 1590 for comment on the incident, the ongoing impact on Jason Gibson, and what steps have been taken to support him since the accident.

Scott Manning, a union representative with Painters’ Union Local 1590, said he was unable to provide detailed comment because he is new in the role. However, Manning said Gibson has the union’s support in speaking publicly about the incident and telling his story.

NOVA Chemicals was asked what steps have been taken to improve safety procedures since the incident, whether the company has had any direct involvement in supporting Gibson beyond the legal proceedings, and for broader comment on workplace safety culture at the Corunna site.

Joe Wolf, Vice President of Manufacturing East at NOVA Chemicals, provided the following statement:

"Any time an incident occurs that impacts, or has the potential to impact worker safety, it prompts deep reflection across our organization. The safety and wellbeing of our employees and contractors is foundational to NOVA Chemicals, and we sincerely regret that this incident occurred. Our goal is to ensure every person who comes to work at our facilities leaves safely.

Following this incident, our teams acted quickly to assess what happened, understand contributing factors, and identify opportunities to strengthen our practices. We took a number of steps to refine our procedures, training, and onsite controls, including facility modifications. Specific actions included improving physical safeguards, reviewing related maintenance procedures, ensuring all employees and contractors receive the necessary information and training for safe operations, and sharing post-incident learnings amongst our operational teams.

As part of our company-wide Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) program, we are building an even stronger safety culture that protects our people and is rooted in awareness, understanding, and proactive risk management."

Kel-Gor Limited was asked the same questions regarding safety procedures and support for the injured worker. Caroline McKenzie, General Manager at Kel-gor, provided the following statement:

"Kel-Gor remains deeply committed to supporting Jason and his family as he continues his recovery. Jason is a valued member of our team, and we have remained in regular contact with him and his family to ensure they have the support they need during this challenging time. We have also worked in conjunction with NOVA Chemicals to review procedures and onsite controls to help prevent an incident like this from happening again.

The safety and wellbeing of our employees is our highest priority. At Kel-Gor, we are committed to supporting our people and working with our clients and partners to ensure the environments where our teams work are as safe as possible. Kel-Gor does not take any workplace injury lightly, and we remain committed to ensuring that every member of our team returns home safely at the end of the day."

Beyond the courtroom decision

In December 2025, NOVA Chemicals was fined $130,000 in provincial offences court in relation to the incident. The funds paid by NOVA were given directly to the province.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide information, instruction and supervision necessary to protect a worker from workplace hazards, contrary to Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. In addition to the $130,000 fine, the court imposed a mandatory 25 per cent victim fine surcharge under the Provincial Offences Act. That surcharge is directed to a provincial fund that supports victims of crime. These funds do not go to Jason Gibson.

Gibson noted that he was paid his regular wage from Kel-gor for a period of one year after the incident, and will receive biweekly assistance through WSIB until he is able to work again or until he turns 65. Gibson must pay union dues for the rest of his life in order to receive his pension.

Documents provided to The Sarnia Journal show Gibson received a Non-Economic Loss (NEL) assessment from WSIB related to a permanent impairment in his left hip, permanent damage to his lower back, and permanent "whole person impairment". The assessment determined Gibson would receive a a one-time payment of $641.19. Gibson appealed this decision on December 16, 2025, and was eventually denied any additional compensation from WSIB on February 2, 2026.

Questions that remain

More than a year after the accident, Gibson says the moment the steam erupted still returns to him without warning.

The blast itself lasted only seconds.

But the injuries, the trauma, and the unanswered questions have followed him long after the steam dissipated from the tower.

While the incident was addressed through the courts and resulted in regulatory penalties, Gibson says he still struggles with how the human impact of the accident has been handled.

He says he has never been contacted directly by NOVA Chemicals offering support, and the company’s statement provided to The Sarnia Journal for this story was the first time he had seen the incident addressed in relation to him outside of the courts.

The lack of direct communication has left him questioning how the worker at the centre of the case became largely absent from the process that followed.

“That moment has never really ended,” he said. “I think about it a lot.”