Safety & Responsible Care
The Joffre Site operates our manufacturing facilities responsibly, adhering to the Responsible Care® principles developed by the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC). All aspects of our operations reflect a safe and caring attitude towards our employees, our communities, and the environment.
Occupational Health and Hygiene
Our on-site health and occupational hygiene team – including full time nurses and a part-time physician – delivers integrated support to promote employee wellbeing and maintain a safe, healthy workplace.
These individuals provide first aid, health monitoring, and wellness education to facility staff. Emergency medical technicians are also available 24/7 to respond to medical needs.
Our team of industrial hygienists bring deep expertise of all products and chemicals across our operations. They work alongside our health professionals to anticipate, assess, and control workplace hazards.
We are proud that our occupational hygiene program meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and industry standards, and includes:
- Assessment of chemical, physical (e.g., noise) and biological (e.g., mold) hazards
- Workplace exposure monitoring
- Development of safe work practices
- Employee education on hazards and personal protective measures.
Facility Loss Prevention
Our facilities are designed and operated by risk engineers who apply rigorous standards to minimize risk and prevent incidents. Key safeguards include:
- Facility design that considers strong winds and potential hazards from flammable leaks
- Continuous monitoring systems throughout each facility, including combustible gas detection, to detect vapor releases
- Automated fire protection systems
- Pressure management systems, including automatic venting to flare systems.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
We take a unified approach to emergency preparedness through a single, integrated response plan across each of our facilities. Our sites are equipped with dedicated emergency response resources, including specialized vehicles and on-site medical support. Emergency Operations Centres provide centralized coordination to support effective incident management.
NOVA Chemicals’ community notification system quickly notifies residents within five kilometres of the Joffre Site if an incident resulting from our operations occurs.
For more information about NOVA Chemicals’ approach to Emergency Preparedness, click here.
Community Emergency Preparedness
As part of our commitment to being a good neighbour, we work closely with local public agencies and partners to support effective emergency response across our community.
We maintain an active Community Emergency Planning Committee made up of local residents, industry representatives, and Lacombe County Disaster Services. The committee meets quarterly to review response plans, test communication systems, and maintain up-to-date emergency notification processes.
We are also a member of the Lacombe County Mutual Aid Organization, a collaborative initiative with other emergency preparedness organizations to train and strengthen response plans and equipment. As part of this agreement, our trained emergency response personnel assist on local emergencies, alongside municipal responders, when requested.
