Accredited Technical Masterclasses 10

Managing uncertainty: Practical risk assessment for dams and tailings facilities - Watch on-demand

Effective risk assessment enables the safe and sustainable management of dams and tailings storage facilities (TSFs), helping asset owners make informed decisions despite uncertainty. As financial and resourcing constraints increase, the ability to prioritise risk mitigation efforts is more critical than ever.

In this 60-minute Accredited Technical Masterclass, our industry leaders in dams and tailings facilities will introduce practitioners to risk-based frameworks that enhance regulatory compliance, optimise investment in risk information, and support long-term asset performance. Our presenters will examine the practical applications and benefits of risk-based approaches and demonstrate how risk information can be leveraged to drive effective asset management decisions.

This masterclass is designed for practitioners involved in oversight and management of dam safety programs, dam safety decision makers, risk managers, regulators, as well as professionals in the Water, Energy and Mining sectors. Our session will provide actionable insights to improve the efficiency, and reliability of dam and TSF management using proven risk assessment methodologies.

By attending this masterclass, you will be able to:

Compare Australia’s approach to risk assessment with international practices.
Evaluate the frameworks available for assessment of dam safety risk.
Apply risk assessment outcomes to prioritise actions, leverage benefits, and support asset management decisions under uncertain conditions.

Don’t miss the chance to earn internationally recognised Continuing Education Units from the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). By completing a short quiz at the end of the class, you can earn 0.1 Continuing Education Unit.

This exclusive masterclass provides a unique opportunity to learn from leading industry specialists and gain valuable insights into dams and tailings facilities.

Chris Topham - Technical Director – Dams & Risk Assessment, GHD

Chris Topham is a professional engineer with over 28 years of experience in infrastructure engineering, asset management, risk management, insurance, and organisational resilience. During 20 years as a dam owner in the water and power sectors, Chris was involved in risk-based upgrades to over a dozen high and extreme consequence category dams, numerous quantitative risk assessments, and has responded to several dam safety emergencies, including a dam failure in Victoria in 2001. Chris has subsequently transitioned to consulting and now assists asset owners in the water, power, and mining sectors in Australia and North America with surveillance and risk management of their dams and tailings facilities. He has published 16 technical papers on a range of topics including quantitative risk assessment as a basis for structural upgrades, risk-based surveillance approaches, and the application of the “as low as reasonably practicable” principle (ALARP) to dam upgrade decisions.

Chi Fai Wan - Senior Technical Director – Dams & Tailings, GHD

Dr Chi Fai Wan has 40 years of post-graduate experience, in water and dams projects in Hong Kong SAR, China, Australia, and the USA. He is a Professional Engineer in Australia, UK, USA, and Hong Kong in the field of Civil and Geotechnical Engineering.

He has specialist skills in internal erosion of embankment dams, having researched the mechanisms of internal erosion and piping at the University of New South Wales. He has published prolifically during his career, having published more than thirty technical papers and reports on soil erosion testing, dam design, risk assessment, numerical modelling, and probabilistic analysis.

Dr Wan has over 30 years of experience in quantitative risk assessment for dams. He is currently the Co-opted Representative of the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) in the International Commission of Large Dams (ICOLD) in the role of Dams Risk Specialist.

Monique Eggenhuizen - Technical Director – Dams, GHD

Monique Eggenhuizen is an engineering consultant, based in Melbourne, Victoria, with 18 years of experience in the Australian dams industry. Her experience covers the full lifecycle of dam assets, assisting clients in managing the risk profile of their dam asset portfolio.

Monique is actively involved in assisting water corporations, predominantly in Victoria, with their long-term asset management plans that include dam surveillance, design reviews, risk assessments and prioritisation of remedial an upgrade works.

Monique has assisted the Victorian dam safety regulator (DEECA) with the update of their guidance notes for dam owners on dam safety regulation and their annual audits of water corporation dam safety management programs. She has also published a number of ANCOLD papers that looked at improving the risk profile of dam portfolios.