Tailings Facility Management: A Comprehensive Guide. conduct.edu.vn offers a detailed examination of tailings facility management, focusing on integrating best practices and ensuring environmental stewardship. This guide provides actionable strategies for safe and sustainable tailings management, covering everything from risk assessment to regulatory compliance, helping you achieve operational excellence. Explore our resources for in-depth knowledge on mine waste management and tailings dam safety.
1. Introduction: The Imperative of Tailings Facility Management
The mining industry is increasingly focused on responsible and sustainable practices, and the management of tailings facilities is paramount. Tailings, the waste materials left over after the extraction of valuable minerals from ore, pose significant environmental and safety risks if not managed correctly. Integrating a comprehensive approach to tailings management that aligns with international standards and best practices is essential for mitigating these risks and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Traditionally, large mining companies have structured their management systems according to the ISO model. However, tailings management often operates independently, separate from this structured framework. Recently, the Mine Water and Environment journal published an article titled “Integrated Risk Management in Mine Tailings Facility,” which suggests integrating tailings management into the broader ISO management structure. This integration can significantly enhance risk management and operational efficiency. The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, published in August 2020, has become a new benchmark for the mineral sector, developed through an independent process jointly organized by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).
2. Understanding the Foundations: MAC Guides and ISO Standards
Integrating tailings management with established frameworks like ISO standards involves understanding the nuances of each. The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) has developed comprehensive guidelines in its Tailings Guide and Operation, Maintenance, and Surveillance (OMS) Guide. These guides serve as critical references for companies aiming to improve their tailings management systems.
The article “Integrated Risk Management in Mine Tailings Facility” highlights the key differences and attention points between MAC’s guides and the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 management system standards. MAC’s Tailings Guide, Third Edition, released in February 2019, and the OMS Guide, Second Edition, also released in February 2019, are compared with ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems, Requirements; ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems — Requirements with Guidance for Use; and ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, Requirements with Guidance for Use.
In March 2021, MAC released versions 3.2 and 2.1, updating the Tailings Guide and OMS Guide, respectively. These updates align MAC’s TSM® program with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, enhancing consistency across different management systems.
2.1 Accountability and Responsibility
Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide provides a more detailed description of the roles and responsibilities of the Accountable Executive Director. This clarification reinforces the importance of executive oversight in tailings management, ensuring that senior leadership is actively involved and responsible for the safety and sustainability of tailings facilities.
2.2 Critical Controls
In Version 3.2, the requirement for Critical Controls was repositioned within the Risk Management process as part of a redistribution of requirements that made up the “Plan” element of the Plan-Do-Verify-Act (PDCA) cycle in Version 3.1 of the Tailings Guide. This change emphasizes the importance of integrating critical controls directly into the risk management framework, ensuring that they are continuously monitored and evaluated.
The updated text now includes regulatory bodies and communities of interest (COI) in the process of defining high-consequence events. By involving these stakeholders, companies can gain a broader understanding of potential risks and develop more effective mitigation strategies.
2.3 Quality Management
The Quality Management requirement was elevated in Version 3.2, becoming a core component of the “Plan” element of the PDCA cycle. This underscores the need for a robust quality management system that addresses all aspects of tailings facilities, from initial construction to ongoing maintenance and closure.
Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide emphasizes that quality management should cover a wide range of aspects, including specifications for materials, construction procedures (e.g., material compaction), operation, maintenance, and surveillance (OMS) activities such as the calibration of surveillance instruments, and Quality Assurance and Quality Control related to the closure plan implementation. This holistic approach ensures that quality is maintained throughout the entire lifecycle of the tailings facility.
2.4 Emergency Preparedness
Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide reinforces alignment with ISO standards by emphasizing preparedness for a range of potential emergency scenarios and their potential impacts. This includes maintaining the necessary capacity (e.g., personnel, equipment, supplies) to respond, maintaining a state of readiness in collaboration with external parties (e.g., local first responders), developing emergency preparedness plans, and conducting training and exercises to test these plans.
3. Advanced Integration: Further Enhancements in MAC Guides
Integrating management models requires a thorough understanding of the nuances and potential impacts of changes in guidance and standards. The updates in Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide and Version 2.1 of the OMS Guide reflect a move towards enhanced integration, focusing on policy, change management, information control, training, and communication.
3.1 Policy and Commitment
Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide emphasizes the need for the tailings facility owner to demonstrate a commitment to a culture that promotes early recognition of problems, emergency response, and post-incident recovery, in collaboration with authorities and communities of interest (COI). This commitment ensures that all stakeholders are engaged and that the organization is proactive in addressing potential issues.
3.2 Managing Change
Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide highlights the importance of the Engineer of Record (EoR) succession plan. This emphasis ensures continuity and expertise in the management of tailings facilities, particularly during transitions in leadership or technical oversight.
3.3 Control of Documented Information
The most significant change in Version 2.1 of the OMS Guide was the transfer of text regarding ‘Control of Documented Information’ to the Tailings Guide. The text was enriched and renamed ‘Information Management,’ subdivided into ‘Information to be Documented’ and ‘Control of Documented Information.’ This change recognizes that documented information extends beyond OMS manuals and applies throughout the tailings facility lifecycle.
The new ‘Information to be Documented’ requirement specifies what information must be documented and updated, referencing Appendix 6 (Information to be Documented to Support Responsible Tailings Management) and Appendix 8 (Technical Considerations) of the Tailings Guide, particularly concerning the closure plan.
3.4 Training and Competence
Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide emphasizes the traceability of competence evidence to ensure that all relevant personnel receive appropriate training. This ensures that everyone involved in tailings management has the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their roles effectively.
3.5 Communications
Section 3.1.2 of the OMS Guide (second edition) on Communications was deleted and incorporated into Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide. The associated appendix (Appendix 7: Factors in Effective Communications, Governance, and the “Human Element” of Tailings Management) was also moved to the Tailings Guide.
While the ISO standards outline the need for establishing and maintaining internal and external communication processes, the Tailings Guide goes deeper, emphasizing that timely communication of potential problems is essential for minimizing harm. It cites two main mechanisms for fostering a corporate culture that encourages problem reporting: establishing a confidential process to promptly receive, investigate, and resolve issues and developing and implementing whistleblower protection mechanisms to ensure no retaliations.
3.6 Management Review for Continual Improvement
The Tailings Guide now includes the integration of tailings management activities with site-wide systems, such as an environmental and social management system, as an input to periodic management reviews. This integration aligns with the advocated approach of integrating management mechanisms, ensuring that tailings management is considered in the broader context of site operations.
Version 3.2 of the Tailings Guide also requires that management reviews describe the current conditions of the tailings facility, including a summary of construction activities since the last review and any significant changes that have taken place. This includes an assessment of whether the tailings facility continues to meet the design intent and a summary of any deviations from the design or expected conditions, including an assessment of the cumulative impacts of those deviations.
4. Mapping the Landscape: Comparative Analysis Between the Standard and ISO Management Systems
To effectively integrate tailings management with existing management systems, it’s essential to understand how the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management aligns with ISO standards. MAC conducted a detailed analysis of the TSM requirements against the Standard, and further analysis can be conducted to compare each of the 77 requirements of the Standard with those of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001.
The following table illustrates a comparative analysis between the requirements of the Standard and ISO standards:
| Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management X ISO Standards |
|---|
| G. I. Standard |
| TOPIC I: Affected Communities |
| PRINCIPLE 1: Respect the rights of project-affected people and meaningfully engage them at all phases of the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure. |
| Requirement 1.1 |
| Requirement 1.2 |
| Requirement 1.3 |
| Requirement 1.4 |
| TOPIC II: Integrated Knowledge Base |
| PRINCIPLE 2: Develop and maintain an interdisciplinary knowledge base to support safe tailings management throughout the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure. |
| Requirement 2.1 |
| Requirement 2.2 |
| Requirement 2.3 |
| Requirement 2.4 |
| PRINCIPLE 3: Use all elements of the knowledge base – social, environmental, local economic and technical – to inform decisions throughout the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure. |
| Requirement 3.1 |
| Requirement 3.2 |
| Requirement 3.3 |
| Requirement 3.4 |
| TOPIC III: Design, construction, operation and monitoring of the tailings facility |
| PRINCIPLE 4: Develop plans and design criteria for the tailings facility to minimize risk for all phases of its lifecycle, including closure and post-closure. |
| Requirement 4.1 |
| Requirement 4.2 |
| Requirement 4.3 |
| Requirement 4.4 |
| Requirement 4.5 |
| Requirement 4.6 |
| Requirement 4.7 |
| Requirement 4.8 |
| PRINCIPLE 5: Develop a robust design that integrates the knowledge base and minimizes the risk of failure to people and the environment for all phases of the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure and post-closure. |
| Requirement 5.1 |
| Requirement 5.2 |
| Requirement 5.3 |
| Requirement 5.4 |
| Requirement 5.5 |
| Requirement 5.6 |
| Requirement 5.7 |
| Requirement 5.8 |
| PRINCIPLE 6: Plan, build and operate the tailings facility to manage risk at all phases of the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure and post-closure. |
| Requirement 6.1 |
| Requirement 6.2 |
| Requirement 6.3 |
| Requirement 6.4 |
| Requirement 6.5 |
| Requirement 6.6 |
| PRINCIPLE 7: Design, implement and operate monitoring systems to manage risk at all phases of the facility lifecycle, including closure. |
| Requirement 7.1 |
| Requirement 7.2 |
| Requirement 7.3 |
| Requirement 7.4 |
| Requirement 7.5 |
| TOPIC IV: Management and Governance |
| PRINCIPLE 8: Establish policies, systems and accountabilities to support the safety and integrity of the tailings facility. |
| Requirement 8.1 |
| Requirement 8.2 |
| Requirement 8.3 |
| Requirement 8.4 |
| Requirement 8.5 |
| Requirement 8.6 |
| Requirement 8.7 |
| PRINCIPLE 9: Appoint and empower an Engineer of Record. |
| Requirement 9.1 |
| Requirement 9.2 |
| Requirement 9.3 |
| Requirement 9.4 |
| Requirement 9.5 |
| PRINCIPLE 10: Establish and implement levels of review as part of a strong quality and risk management system for all phases of the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure. |
| Requirement 10.1 |
| Requirement 10.2 |
| Requirement 10.3 |
| Requirement 10.4 |
