Dam and Canal Safety Regulation in Alberta

If you are the engineer-of-record, safety manager or designer-of-record for a dam or canal in Alberta, you carry defined responsibilities, experience requirements and submission deadlines. Knowing when an annual performance review can replace an engineering inspection, how often a consequence classification must be re-assessed, and what has to reach the regulator within 30 or 90 days is part of practising safely and staying compliant. This course sets out the regulatory framework that governs dam and canal safety in the province.

You will start with key definitions and the roles of the accountable executive, safety manager, engineer-of-record, designer-of-record and operations manager, then move through the information needed for authorization of a new dam or canal and for environmental impact assessment. The course explains how consequence classification is determined from incremental consequences of failure, the preliminary, qualitative and quantitative assessment procedures, and the review cycles tied to each classification. From there you will cover safety management plans and safety deficiencies, site investigation, design and construction requirements (stability criteria, seismic, deformation and seepage analysis, quality assurance and quality control plans), engineering inspections, annual performance reviews, safety reviews and risk assessment using failure mode and effects analysis. The final modules address operation, maintenance and surveillance manuals, emergency management plans and exercises, notifications of safety incidents, and planning for cessation, resumption, decommissioning, closure and abandonment.

What Will Be Covered:

• Key definitions and the roles and qualifications of dam safety personnel

• Information required for authorization and environmental impact assessment

• Consequence classification, assessment procedures and re-assessment intervals

• Safety management plans, public safety and safety deficiency management

• Site investigation, design requirements, stability criteria and seismic, deformation and seepage analysis

• Construction quality assurance and quality control plans and completion reporting

• Engineering inspections, annual performance reviews, safety reviews and risk assessment

• Operation, maintenance and surveillance manuals

• Emergency management plans, contact information and exercises

• Safety incident notification, cessation and resumption, and decommissioning, closure and abandonment