Barton Maher – Assistant Chief Engineer, QLD Department of Regional Development Manufacturing and Water and Chris Nielsen – Director, Dam Safety, QLD Department of Regional Development Manufacturing and Water
The use of risk assessment to identify, prioritise and stage capital expenditure for dam upgrades is well understood at a technical and project level, but not always at a governance level where critical risk decisions are made. This is further challenged by the vagaries of assessing As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP), not just for a given dam or dam project, but also across all aspects of an organisation’s approach to dam safety management and in setting its risk appetite.
Previous papers to ANCOLD have provided recommendations on both the assessment of ALARP and the documentation required for assessing residual risks. These papers have also included cautions that are still relevant to the Australian dam industry.
This paper describes a number of considerations when assessing ALARP and a dam owners governance of dam safety risks. These considerations are based on the author’s career experience as technical decision maker in a major dam organisation and government Chief Engineer for water infrastructure projects.
$15.00
ANCOLD is an incorporated voluntary association of organisations and individual professionals with an interest in dams in Australia.