Perth office manager James Penman said miners were showing an increased awareness of liability issues stemming from high-profile dam failures such as Samarco and Mt Polley.

Imperial Metals’ tailings dam at the Mt Polley copper-gold mine in British Columbia failed in August 2014, releasing more than 10 million cubic metres (Mm³) of wastewater and 7Mm³ of sediment into lakes and waterways, prompting the government to order an independent review of all dam safety inspections in the province.

Meanwhile BHP and Vale SA are currently negotiating a multibillion-dollar settlement over the joint venture’s 2015 Samarco dam failure in Brazil, which is reported to have killed 19 people and caused extensive environmental damage.

“The events in Canada and Brazil have put an emphasis on managing risk over the whole life of a tailings storage facility,” Penman said.

“There has been a tendency to focus just on the start of an operation’s life but as operators and owners change over time, people may not appreciate legacy risks that were not addressed in the original design.

“These are dynamic structures and an accumulation of small factors over time can lead to failures.

“The key is to have a flexible tailings management plan that covers the whole life of the facility.

“It’s really important to understand the risks throughout a facility’s life cycle, even if it never reaches its maximum configuration, and give options to owners and operators to accommodate any changes in production levels.”

Penman said the sector in Australia had inherent risks due to the prevalence of upstream-raised tailings dams (which were more prone to failure than other dam raising methods). He said there was a risk of complacency within the Australian mining industry because fortunately, there had not been any tailings dam catastrophes.

He said a North American concept that was gaining traction in Australia was creating the position of “engineer of record” and making one individual (or company) responsible for understanding a site’s waste management over the whole life cycle.

“It’s really encouraging to see a focus on this concept in in Australia as a means of risk mitigation.”

Beyond providing site-specific solutions, KCB also has a strong research and development arm, looking to find better approaches to waste management.

KCB has partnered with a number of universities around the world on research programs to improve knowledge and understanding of tailings facilities. The company is supporting a University of Queensland research project, as an example, to advance understanding of the long-term behaviour of mine tailings.

KCB is also proud of the way it treats its employees and the company was recognised as an Employer of Choice in the Australian Business Awards 2017.

The company, formed in 1951, has been in Australia since 1993 and prides itself on its communication, collaboration, a company-wide mentoring program and providing a satisfying workplace.

It has worked on more than 300 mining projects worldwide, including some of the largest mining projects developed, with a long history in tailings storage facility design, mine waste management and environmental stewardship.

“Obviously there are very different environments between Canada, the Pilbara and the mountains of Papua New Guinea, but there are still things you can learn from each,” Penman said.

“We try to bring the best available technology and practice and work together to provide the best solution.”

KCB will be showcasing their mine waste and tailings management capabilities at the 2017 Diggers and Dealers Forum in Kalgoorlie at Booth #41.