Critical review of tailings dam monitoring best practice

The intent of this paper is to establish the foundation for improvement of monitoring strategies for the safe and controlled management of the geotechnical stability of a tailings storage facility. This paper establishes what currently defines best practice in an effort to realign global practices and in turn encourage greater collaboration in safety. Best practice is established through a critical review of guidelines, acts, and regulations, a survey and analysis of 25 global tailings dam practitioners, and recommendations are made for the development of a global industry best practice, comprehensive monitoring strategy for tailings dams.