In the Ferrous business, Vale's integrated risk management
system for geotechnical structures is based on three main pillars:
People
Teams specialized in dam control and management are
dedicated to Vale's structures.
Processes
Reassessment of safety, risk and emergency management
procedures throughout the structure cycle, from project
implementation to operation. In all phases, a risk prognosis is
made, and a state of alert is established in case of an
emergency. The safety policy for dams and geotechnical mining
structures, established in October 2020, and Vale's
normative standard for business risk management, revised in
December 2020, guide this work.
Information Systems
There are two systems
in the Ferrous area:
- Geotc: stores structural maintenance and
monitoring data;
-GRG: stores technical data of the structures
and the Dam Safety Plan (PSB).
Emergency situations are considered those arising from adverse
events that affect the dam safety and may cause damage to its
structural and operational integrity, preservation of life, health,
property and environment. The emergency should be assessed and
classified according to the levels below:
Level 1
Detailment:
When an anomaly is detected
that results in the maximum score for the state of conservation
or for any other situation with a potential compromise in the
safety of the structure, requiring special daily inspections.
Comunication to:
the Brazilian National
Mining Agency (ANM), environmental agencies and Civil Defense
(national, state and municipal).
Vale’s structures
Immediate actions: signaling instability and intensifying monitoring.
Dams: 5-MAC, 5-Mutuca, 6, 7A, B,
Borrachudo II, Campo Grande, Dicão Leste, Doutor, Maravilhas
II, Marés II, Norte/Laranjeiras, Paracatu, PDE 3, Peneirinha,
Pontal, Porteirinha, Santana, Sul Inferior, Vargem
Grande.
Level 2
Detailment:
When the result of the actions
taken in the anomaly referred to in Level 1 is
classified as “uncontrolled” or “not extinguished”, requiring
new special inspections and interventions.
Comunication to:
the ANM, environmental
agencies, Civil Defense (national, state and municipal),
Self-Rescue Zone (ZAS) and Secondary Safety Zone (ZSS).
Vale’s structures
Immediate actions:
From that level, people in the ZAS are evacuated.
Dams:Área IX, Capitão do Mato, Dique de Pedra,
Forquilha I, Forquilha II, Grupo, Xingu.
Initiatives in dam management
Since the dam rupture in Brumadinho, the assessments carried out
by Vale have been intensified in order to support the
implementation of preventive and corrective actions in all
structures.
The Safety and Operational Excellence Office report to the
CEO provides:
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Business areas and functional units include:
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Executive Officer leading the department and defining
technical parameters;
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Support for the use of risk models and standard asset
management by the operational area;
- Focus on rules and procedures
- Independent and transparent audit
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Area dedicated to geotechnics, focusing on the adoption
of best practices
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Role of the person responsible for management and safety
in operations;
- Compliance with operational excellence guidelines
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Reports of complaints and asset risk management;
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Guarantee regarding the technical expertise of the
operational teams;
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Mandatory application of Vale's Management Model
(Vale Production System - VPS).
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Safety, health and operational excellence Area reporting to
the CEO
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Department led by an Executive Director who defines
technical parameters
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Support the use of standard risk and asset management models
by the operational area
- Focus on standards and procedures
- Independent and transparent audit
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Office dedicated to Geotechnics, focusing on the adoption of
best practices
Business areas and functional units
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Responsible for the management and safety in operations
- Comply with operational excellence guidelines
- Asset risk management reports
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Ensure technical expertise within the operational teams
- Mandatory VPS (Vale Production System)
Routine, Performance and Risk Management System (RPR)
Vale's RPR is intended to cover all aspects relevant to the
safety of a dam or tailings deposit.
In this system, the following management processes are monitored:
-
routine applied to the structure, through operational
discipline;
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performance of the geotechnical asset, made possible by
continuous and formal monitoring by the Engineer of Record;
-
risks, through the identification of failure modes and their
critical controls, insertion and monitoring via the business
risk management platform.
Risk management of tailings dams
The governance and the updating of dam defense lines increase the
flow of data within the company, allowing information related to
risks and safety to be constantly reviewed and reach senior
management
The risk management of Vale's tailings dams is fully aligned
with the company's Management Model (VPS), divided into three
levels:
Technincal
- Basic geotechnical guidelines;
- Operational discipline;
- Standards for minimum activities and routines;
- Elaboration of 25 normative standards;
- Elaboration of a policy for dam safety;
- Integration of geotechnical risks with the BRM;
- Project governance;
- Minimum requirements.
Method
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Implementation of a model based on the Routine, Performance
and Risk Management System (RPR);
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Introduction of the Engineer of Record (EoR) and continuous
monitoring of the structures;
- Application of HIRA’ for dams;
- Maintenance Control Planning (PCM);
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Implementation of the Floor Management Development System
(FMDS);
- Strategy unfolding
- Governance.
Leadership
- Review of the organizational structure;
- Defined roles and responsibilities;
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Elaboration of RACI matrix (tool to visualize
responsibilities) and review aspects of human resources;
- Behavioral transformation and enpowerment
The system follows the Three Lines of Defense:
In addition to the 3 conventional lines, Vale's new Risk
Management system was designed with the incorporation of
additional and redundant layers. The objective is to increase the
number of lines and layers of defense to 8. The figure below
illustrates all the layers that make up the system:
Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management
Vale is focused on the evolution of its Tailings & Dams
Management System ("TDMS") for the Ferrous, Coal and
Base Metals businesses. During 2019 and 2020, Vale worked
closely with the International Council on Mining and Metals
(ICMM) and participated actively in the Global Industry
Standard on Tailings Management ("GISTM") – an
effort whose purpose is to improve safety through all phases
of the tailings storage facilities life-cycle.
As of 5 August 2020, Vale and all ICMM members are committed
to implement the GISTM. All tailings facilities operated by
Vale with “Extreme” or “Very high” potential consequences will
be in conformance with the GISTM by 5 August 2023. All other
tailings facilities operated by Vale not in a state of safe
closure will be in conformance with the GISTM by 5 August
2025.
Vale’s Board of Directors approved, in October 2020, a new
Policy for Dam Safety and Geotechnical Mining Structure, which
counts with the GISTM as one of its references. Among other
guidelines, the policy enforces that all components of Vale’s
TDMS are designed with continuous improvement elements, using
and applying the best available technology and best practices
according to international institutions, including the
ICMM.
The company has been working on the evolution of its TDMS
prior to the GISTM and Vale will comply with the Global
Industry Standard for Tailings Management:
As per the GISTM adherence timeline, the gap-assessment process
started in mid-2021 through a self-assessment conducted for all
Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF’s). To give more robustness to
this self-diagnosis process, an external gap-assessment service
was contracted for a sample of 10 TSF’s selected to represent
the external audit work. This work served as a reference to more
faithfully establishing the starting point for elaborating
action plans to comply with the GISTM requirements. For further
information about the process, its results and the journey for
full adherence to GISTM access:
GISTM 2021 self-assessment executive summary
Learn about other Vale's ongoing initiatives to support
the GISTM implementation:
Vale reiterates its commitment to safety, transparency and
the adoption of the known best practices for managing its
tailings facilities.