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SUSTAINABILITY Governance, standards and guidelines

Governance and assurance

Gold Fields maintains rigorous governance frameworks to safeguard the integrity and stability of our TSFs. These are built around clearly defined roles, aligned with the GISTM, and embedded into our Tailings Management System and Standard.

Roles and responsibilities

Our governance framework is built on clearly defined roles and accountabilities:

  • Accountable Executives (AEs): A senior leader accountable and responsible for tailings safety, reporting directly to the CEO and Board.
  • Responsible Tailings Facility Engineers (RTFEs): A designated professional responsible for the integrity, performance, and safe management of a tailings storage facility (TSF) throughout its lifecycle.
  • Tailings Facility Engineers (TFEs): Asset-based engineers who oversee the planning, operation, and monitoring of TSFs.
  • Engineers of Record (EoRs): Independent consulting firms that provide design validation, performance oversight, and technical guidance.
  • Independent Tailings Review Boards (ITRBs): Multi-disciplinary expert panels established for all TSFs with ‘Very High’ or ‘Extreme’ consequence classifications.

These roles are supported by the Gold Fields Tailings Management Standard, which defines mandatory practices across the TSF lifecycle and is externally reviewed every three years, or annually for high-consequence facilities.

Three levels of assurance

We apply a structured three-tiered assurance model to safeguard tailings performance and proactively identify risks.

Level 1 – Operational monitoring (First Line of Defence)

  • Daily inspections, weekly reporting, and asset-based monitoring protocols
  • Performed by TFE teams and operational personnel

Level 2 – Internal oversight (Second Line of Defence)

  • Monthly, quarterly, annual, and ad-hoc reviews
  • Performed by asset leadership, technical teams, RTFE and internal auditors

Level 3 – Independent Review (Third Line of Defence)

  • Formal reviews by Engineers of Record (EoRs), ITRBs, and external third-party verifiers
  • Includes review of conformance against the GISTM and other standards

This layered approach ensures early identification of anomalies, structured risk management, and independent oversight at every stage of TSF management.