Aroeira Dam – Vazante/BR

Inspection, Monitoring routine and best pratices

Preventive constant monitoring actions

  • Vegetation maintenance
  • Drainage cleaning
  • Method of disposing of material in the dam
  • Free edge height

Field visits and data collection

  • Continuously carried out by Geotechnical Engineers
  • Biweekly inspections by in-house professionals
  • Monthly issuance of stability reports by external consultancy
  • Biaanual inspections by external experts
  • Semiannual external audits with ART issuance by external consultancy

Monitoring instruments

  • Continuous use of piezometers, water level meters, surface landmarks, inclinometers

GISTM

The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) was developed in 2020 with the aim of achieving zero harm to people and the environment. This document establishes specific guidelines for the management of tailings disposal structures, seeking solid socio-environmental and technical results. At Nexa, we are working to adapt our structures to the standard by 2030.

Design, Construction, Operation and Monitoring
Develop plans and design criteria for the tailings facility to minimize risk for all phases of its lifecycle, including closure and post-closure.
Management and Governance
Establish policies, systems and accountabilities to support the safety and integrity of the tailings facility. Establish and implement levels of review as part of a strong quality and risk management system for all phases of the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure.
Emergency response and long-term recovery
Prepare for emergency response to tailings facility failures. Prepare for long-term recovery in the event of catastrophic failure.
Public disclosure and acess to information
Publicly disclose and provide access to information about the tailings facility to support public accountability.
Integrated Knowledge base
Develop and maintain an interdisciplinary knowledge base to support safe tailings management throughout the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure.
Affected Communities
Respect the rights of project-affected people and meaningfully engage them at all phases of the tailings facility lifecycle, including closure.

Our commitment is your safety

In addition to ensuring good management of our structures, we treat safety as a priority. We maintain a continuous commitment to improving and adopting technologies, aiming to optimize our processes and cultivate a solid relationship with the community, always with transparency and clarity of information.

How do we monitor our structures?

We use highly effective monitoring instruments to evaluate the parameters that guarantee the stability of our structures. As part of our quest for continuous improvement, we are in the process of automating inspections, with the aim of:

  • Implement fault tree
  • Perform database reconciliation
  • Run polls
  • Manage documents
  • Use file drive (PSB)
  • Prepare risk map
  • Perform dynamic stability analysis
  • Apply big data and predictive analytics
  • Use 3D and 2D monitoring

How do I know about the structures and how can I save myself in case of accidents?

PROX aims to expand, improve and improve the Risk Data Management System. This initiative promotes an efficient risk management culture, facilitating communication and sharing of important data and information for self-protection and the development of public policies, strengthening and professionalizing the civil protection and defense system. It is possible to consult the data of our structures by downloading the application.

Download the PROX app

Emergency drills

As part of the Dam Management System and in compliance with current legislation, periodic emergency drills are carried out, a preventive action that guides employees and communities on how they should act in the event of an emergency with dams.

External simulation carried out on 08/29/23 at the Juiz de Fora unit