Worsley Alumina - Annual Dmirs Audit of Water Dams and Tailings Storage Facilitates

Challenge

Annual regulatory audit undertaken in accordance with the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation, and Safety (DMIRS), and to comply with external industry standards and internal requirements.

SLR undertook a site visit and familiarization of the facilities to understand the current risks, operation and management activities associated with the water and tailings dams on site. The onsite discussions with personnel and inspections of the facilities were combined with the technical background of the SLR team to undertake an annual audit in accordance with Department of Mines, Industry Regulation, and Safety (DMIRS).

Solution

SLR was engaged to undertake a site visit and familiarisation of the structures at WAPL to understand the tailings facility operation, design and construction activities, monitoring and instrumentation regimes, water management practices, training packages, governance and risk management procedures, and roles and responsibilities of staff.

This understanding underpinned an audit of the tailings facilities and key documentation in accordance with the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation, and Safety (DMIRS) Tailings Storage Facility Audit Guide and requirements.

The site visit included interviews and discussions with key client employees to understand where improvement opportunities could be made to increase compliance with local and international industry guidelines e.g. Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) Code of Practice Tailings Storage Facilities in Western Australia. Recommendations were developed and prioritized for the client for ongoing continuous improvement at the site.