Thomas Parker

MEng (Hons) CEng MIMechE

Consultant

Biography

Thomas Parker is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with over eight years of experience in the industry, specializing in forensic engineering within the insurance and legal sectors. He is a valued member of YA Group, providing expert analysis and technical insight for complex engineering losses.

Thomas investigates the origin, causation, and extent of mechanical and industrial failures, delivering clear and robust technical reports to support claims resolution and litigation. He assesses compliance with UK and EU standards, including LOLER, PUWER, DSEAR, IGEM, ISO 12944, EN3-8, and NFPA 68, and offers expertise across maritime equipment, boilers, MEP systems, movable structures, HVAC systems, and large-scale industrial machinery.

He has extensive experience in post-loss damage investigations and root cause analysis for escape-of-water events, theft, criminal damage, operational errors, fire damage, and machine end-of-life failures. Thomas provides independent technical advice through concise reports and presentations, recommending repair or replacement strategies and managing projects to completion to ensure equipment returns to service.

Previously, Thomas delivered complex movable structure projects across European ports as part of a Maritime Heavy Mechanical and Electrical team. His responsibilities included investigating failure causation, supervising temporary works, and reviewing design documentation to ensure safe and effective delivery. He successfully led multidisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration among engineers, contractors, and stakeholders to achieve project objectives.

Credentials

  • MEng (Hons) CEng MIMechE
  • Chartered Engineer (CEng)
  • European Engineer (EUR ING)

Representative Consulting Assignments

  • Caisson Lock Gate Replacement | Netherlands & UK | Supervised the replacement of a caisson lock gate considered critical infrastructure to the UK economy. Reviewed design from tender stage to completion, supervising FAT & SAT testing as well as installation works to ensure the project was completed within a tight timeframe to minimise disruptions to shipping.
  • Boiler House Explosion | Denmark | Investigated the root cause of an explosion in a fire-tube boiler during commissioning works at one of Europe’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. Conducted a detailed site inspection, collecting data and key components, and supervised subsequent testing at the manufacturer’s headquarters. The investigation led to revised maintenance procedures and a redesign of critical components, changes that have since been implemented across several hundred boilers worldwide.
  • Shotblasting Facilities | UK | Conducted several investigations to assess damage caused to machinery used for industrial shotblasting across a number of sites in the UK. Causes of these damages varied from fire, flooding to operational misuse. Provided clear reporting to document equipment at sites, as well as recommendations on repair versus replacement and advised on reasonable quotations for subsequent repair or replacement of machinery and equipment.
  • AHU Investigation | UK | Investigated an escape of water event originating from an Air Handling Unit (AHU) which had led to considerable flooding of the facility. Determine the origin of the escape of water before supervising material and microscopic testing to determine the root cause of the escape of water event. Supervised refurbishment works to return the unit to service, as well as making recommendations for changes in operating procedures to prevent such an incident from reoccurring.
  • Domestic Escape of Water Events | UK | Investigated a large number of escapes of water events across a wide range of domestic properties.

Professional Experience

  • 2025 - Current | Consultant | YA Group
  • 2024 - 2025 | Senior Mechanical Project Engineer | Envista Forensics
  • 2017 - 2024 | Graduate Mechanical Engineer to Senior Mechanical Engineer | Royal HaskoningDHV

Education

  • University of Liverpool - Master of Engineering with Honors - Mechanical Engineering - United Kingdom

Affiliations

  • Engineers Europe (Reg. No. 00037719)
  • Institution of Mechanical Engineers (Mem. No. 80265138)
  • UK Engineering Council (Reg. No. 697784)