OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
TAILINGS DAMS THE FUTURE OF
Industry experts come together on tailings dams following successful conference in South Africa
Platinum tailings
work closely together, according to SRK Consulting’s senior geotechnical engineer Linda Spies. Speaking after a recent Southern
S
African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) conference focusing on tailings dams, Spies says that mining executives today required more assurance that their tailings dams are safe, with controls becoming much stricter. Greater transparency was also being demanded by other stakeholders such as investors and communities. “After several hundred lives were lost
in two well-publicised tailings dam failures in Brazil in 2015 and 2019, awareness of tailings dam risks has been raised within the mining industry and in the public eye
afer tailings storage facilities (TSFs) – or tailings dams – can be achieved when mine owners, contractors and engineering consultants
globally,” she states. “Tese latest failures were especially significant insofar as senior management at the mining companies were for the first time being implicated directly with charges of manslaughter and environmental damage.”
Linda Spies
Spies notes that while conferences on this topic usually involve mostly tailings dam practitioners and academics, this event had strong representation from owners and contractors, who are responsible for tailings dam construction, and consultants, who design TSFs and monitor their construction.
“Tis meant that the discussion was
more holistic and valuable, enriched with insights from these various perspectives,” she explains. “Tis is vital in promoting innovation, safety and environmental and social responsibility in the design, operation and closure of tailings dams.”
BEST PRACTISE SHOWCASE Although the tone of the event was serious in light of recent failures, there was also an optimism flowing from the showcasing of best practice in the field and how this was being successfully applied. In her own case
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