4
is recognized by a growing number of manufacturers and
investors.
TSM addresses more than just tailings management.
The program provides companies implementing the stan-
dard with a set of protocols used to measure, report, and
improve their performance in tailings management as well
as eight other topic areas:
• Water stewardship
• Biodiversity conservation management
• Climate change
• Indigenous and community relationships
• Crisis management and communications planning
• Safe, healthy, and respectful workplaces
• Equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces
• Prevention of child and forced labour
Performance is measured at the facility level and also,
when relevant (e.g., crisis management and communica-
tions planning), at the corporate level. The TSM standard
helps ensure:
• Accountability and Transparency: Companies
implementing TSM commit to the TSM Guiding
Principles and report their performance annually.
Each facility’s results are publicly reported and are
externally verified every three years. For MAC mem-
bers, results are published on the MAC website and
include individual company performance as well as
aggregate performance. This provides information
on facility-level performance to communities, regu-
lators, investors, and others.
• Credibility: TSM includes ongoing consulta-
tion with a national Community of Interest (COI)
Advisory Panel, established by each industry associa-
tion implementing TSM. These multi-stakeholder
groups help foster dialogue with communities of
interest, improve the industry’s performance, and
shape the TSM standard for continual improvement.
• Continual Improvement: TSM performance pro-
tocols are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure
that they continue to reflect industry best practice.
They may also be reviewed on the basis of recom-
mendations from the COI Advisory Panel or other
considerations.
The tailings management component of TSM consists
of two documents that describe requirements and two sup-
porting guidance documents. The objective is to continu-
ally work towards minimizing harm, which encompasses
both the physical and chemical risks associated with tail-
ings, including the objectives of:
• Zero catastrophic failures of tailings facilities
• No significant adverse effects on the environment or
human health
Requirements are described in the Tailings Management
Protocol (the Protocol)(MAC 2023) which provides five
performance indicators and associated criteria:
1. Having a corporate tailings management policy or
commitment
2. Assigning accountability and responsibility for
tailings management
3. Developing and implementing site-specific tailings
management systems, and emergency preparedness
4. Developing and implementing site-specific OMS
manuals
5. Conducting annual tailings management reviews
The Protocol refers to the guidance documents and
elements of each that must be implemented to achieve
conformance. A Table of Conformance (MAC 2022) iden-
tifies over 350 items from the guidance documents to be
implemented across the five indicators. This table provides
a high level of detail, while allowing flexibility to apply to
different types of facilities, corporate structures, etc. Use of
the Table of Conformance is mandatory, ensuring rigorous
performance measurement against the five indicators in the
Protocol.
Guidance is provided in A Guide to the Management
of Tailings Facilities (the Tailings Guide)(MAC 2021a) and
Developing an Operation, Maintenance and Surveillance
Manual for Tailings and Water Management Facilities (the
OMS Guide)(MAC 2021b). The Tailings Guide describes
a management systems approach to tailings management,
providing a framework to integrate governance and techni-
cal aspects of tailings management addressed in the Guide,
including:
• Governance aspects
– Corporate accountability, including establish-
ing the roles of Accountable Executive Officer,
Responsible Person, and Engineer-of-Record
– Corporate commitment to tailings management
– Developing and implementing a tailings manage-
ment system
– Managing change
– Third-party oversight (e.g., independent review)
– Emergency preparedness
– Training and competence
– Communications
– Resources and scheduling
– Managing information
is recognized by a growing number of manufacturers and
investors.
TSM addresses more than just tailings management.
The program provides companies implementing the stan-
dard with a set of protocols used to measure, report, and
improve their performance in tailings management as well
as eight other topic areas:
• Water stewardship
• Biodiversity conservation management
• Climate change
• Indigenous and community relationships
• Crisis management and communications planning
• Safe, healthy, and respectful workplaces
• Equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces
• Prevention of child and forced labour
Performance is measured at the facility level and also,
when relevant (e.g., crisis management and communica-
tions planning), at the corporate level. The TSM standard
helps ensure:
• Accountability and Transparency: Companies
implementing TSM commit to the TSM Guiding
Principles and report their performance annually.
Each facility’s results are publicly reported and are
externally verified every three years. For MAC mem-
bers, results are published on the MAC website and
include individual company performance as well as
aggregate performance. This provides information
on facility-level performance to communities, regu-
lators, investors, and others.
• Credibility: TSM includes ongoing consulta-
tion with a national Community of Interest (COI)
Advisory Panel, established by each industry associa-
tion implementing TSM. These multi-stakeholder
groups help foster dialogue with communities of
interest, improve the industry’s performance, and
shape the TSM standard for continual improvement.
• Continual Improvement: TSM performance pro-
tocols are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure
that they continue to reflect industry best practice.
They may also be reviewed on the basis of recom-
mendations from the COI Advisory Panel or other
considerations.
The tailings management component of TSM consists
of two documents that describe requirements and two sup-
porting guidance documents. The objective is to continu-
ally work towards minimizing harm, which encompasses
both the physical and chemical risks associated with tail-
ings, including the objectives of:
• Zero catastrophic failures of tailings facilities
• No significant adverse effects on the environment or
human health
Requirements are described in the Tailings Management
Protocol (the Protocol)(MAC 2023) which provides five
performance indicators and associated criteria:
1. Having a corporate tailings management policy or
commitment
2. Assigning accountability and responsibility for
tailings management
3. Developing and implementing site-specific tailings
management systems, and emergency preparedness
4. Developing and implementing site-specific OMS
manuals
5. Conducting annual tailings management reviews
The Protocol refers to the guidance documents and
elements of each that must be implemented to achieve
conformance. A Table of Conformance (MAC 2022) iden-
tifies over 350 items from the guidance documents to be
implemented across the five indicators. This table provides
a high level of detail, while allowing flexibility to apply to
different types of facilities, corporate structures, etc. Use of
the Table of Conformance is mandatory, ensuring rigorous
performance measurement against the five indicators in the
Protocol.
Guidance is provided in A Guide to the Management
of Tailings Facilities (the Tailings Guide)(MAC 2021a) and
Developing an Operation, Maintenance and Surveillance
Manual for Tailings and Water Management Facilities (the
OMS Guide)(MAC 2021b). The Tailings Guide describes
a management systems approach to tailings management,
providing a framework to integrate governance and techni-
cal aspects of tailings management addressed in the Guide,
including:
• Governance aspects
– Corporate accountability, including establish-
ing the roles of Accountable Executive Officer,
Responsible Person, and Engineer-of-Record
– Corporate commitment to tailings management
– Developing and implementing a tailings manage-
ment system
– Managing change
– Third-party oversight (e.g., independent review)
– Emergency preparedness
– Training and competence
– Communications
– Resources and scheduling
– Managing information