quote from main page: Developing an Operation, Maintenance and Surveillance Manual for Tailings and Water Management Facilities (the OMS Guide) provides guidance on the development and implementation of OMS manuals. The development and implementation of operation, maintenance, and surveillance (OMS) activities, described in a site-specific OMS manual, is essential to implementing a tailings management plan, meeting performance objectives and managing risk. Companies that do not effectively implement OMS activities cannot adequately understand their risks, proactively manage tailings, make informed decisions about tailings management, or have any assurance that tailings and associated risks are being effectively managed.
The Towards Sustainable Mining Tailings Management Protocol, first released in 2004 and revised in 2011, is used to measure tailings management performance, with five performance indicators focused on: Having a corporate tailings management policy and commitment, Developing and implementing site-specific tailings management systems and emergency preparedness measures, Assigning accountability and responsibility for tailings management, Conducting annual tailings management reviews, Developing and implementing site-specific OMS manuals