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The Willingness of Young Engineers to Assume the Role of EOR for TSFs

Tailings and Mine Waste Conference (2023 : Vancouver, B.C.); University of British Columbia. Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

This paper presents the results of a structured questionnaire completed anonymously in June 2023 by 164 young tailings engineers to gauge their willingness to assume the role of Engineer of Record (EoR) for Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs). Given the memory of catastrophic failures of such structures in various parts of the world over the last decade, and the implications for personal liability, the influence on young engineers has been speculated on but not quantified. This paper provides insight into the perceived barriers both real and misunderstood, that influence young engineers’ willingness to become EoRs. The barriers identified in this survey included professional liability, the demand for experience, fear of legal action, educational requirements, personal risk aversion, regulatory compliance, understanding of the EoR role, and levels of support provided by employers. Perhaps contrary to expectations, the paper finds that many young, qualified tailings engineers are willing to assume the EoR role and presents a call to the industry to address the challenges identified and to promote the development of young tailings engineers into qualified EoRs.

Text

2023-12-08

Attribution 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/86783

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/