This guideline is intended to help companies improve the overall operational management of tailings storage facilities through the preparation of their own site specific operating manuals.
While the required degree of professionalism is evident in the design and construction of tailings structures, many of them are not operated in line with all design parameters, resulting in particular problems at several mine sites. The majority of the tailings incidents reported to the department could have been avoided if the tailings storage facility had been operated within the design parameters or had been more diligently managed.