The encyclopedia · Engineering & Operations · Operational decision · 2019
Vale's Brumadinho dam collapsed — killing 270 and exposing a pattern of ignored warnings
In 2019, Vale's Brumadinho tailings dam in Brazil collapsed, killing 270. It was the second Vale dam failure in 3 years. Warnings had been ignored.
Vale S.A. · 2019-01-25
What happened
On January 25, 2019, a tailings dam at Vale's Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine in Brumadinho, Brazil, collapsed, releasing 12 million cubic meters of mining waste. The mudflow killed 270 people, most of them Vale employees in the mine's cafeteria and offices downstream.
The collapse was the second catastrophic dam failure for Vale in three years — the 2015 Mariana disaster (Samarco, a Vale-BHP joint venture) had killed 19 and contaminated the Doce River. Investigations found that Vale had been aware of stability concerns at the Brumadinho dam but had not taken adequate action.
Vale paid over $7 billion in settlements and compensation. Several executives were charged with murder. The case illustrated how a company that has already experienced a catastrophic failure can fail to learn from it, and how the pressure to maintain production can override the warnings that would prevent the next disaster.
Why it happened
- Vale was aware of stability concerns at the Brumadinho dam but did not take adequate action.
- The collapse was the second catastrophic dam failure for Vale in three years.
- 270 people died, most in the mine's cafeteria and offices downstream.
- Vale paid $7B+ in settlements; executives were charged with murder.
The lesson
A company that survives a catastrophe without changing has not learned — it's been lucky. Mariana in 2015 was the lesson; Brumadinho in 2019 was the proof it wasn't.
Aftermath
Vale paid $7B+ in settlements. Several executives were charged with murder. Brazil banned the upstream tailings dam construction method. The case prompted global mining companies to review their tailings dam safety practices.
Sources
- Brumadinho dam disaster — Wikipedia
- Vale S.A. — SEC Form 6-K on the Brumadinho dam collapse, 28 January 2019
spotted an error? The club wants to know.
More like this
The Genoa bridge collapse was 30 years of ignored warnings — 43 people paid the price
Kobe Steel falsified quality data for decades — and 500 companies paid the price
Toyo Tire faked the safety data on earthquake bearings in 154 buildings
Somewhere, someone solved the problem this company failed at. 2nd Opinion →
Comments · 0
Sign in to join the comments.