Risk assessment for tailings management

Abstract

ABSTRACT Due to the severity of several major failures, the mining industry has significantly increased efforts to improve the design, construction, operation, monitoring, and management of tailings storage facilities (TSF). Best practice guidance mandates strong governance by senior executives, multi-tiered management systems, external third-party review, and the application of risk assessment to all TSF design, operation, and management activities. Tailings may be produced in slurry, thickened, or filtered form, and every TSF has its own unique site characteristics, design, and operational conditions, presenting various forms and levels of risk. Companies with large TSF portfolios must compile complex information in a manner that allows differentiation, prioritization, and communication of the risks to various stakeholders. This article updates a novel and rational tool to assess the risks associated with TSF. The tool provides the means of communicating these risks, and of prioritizing corrective actions. It also facilitates the implementation of risk-based management practices while allowing consideration of the unique conditions of a company, its organizational structure and internal practices, as well as the varied nature and characteristics of its TSF portfolio.