Join Us for the Second FESA Meeting in Sydney!
Looking to sharpen your engineering decision-making and network with industry peers over a great meal? The Forensic Engineering Society of Australia (FESA) is thrilled to invite you to our very first FESA Meeting in Sydney. Combining a relaxed pub atmosphere with high-value technical discussion, this inaugural event is the perfect opportunity to connect, talk shop, and share insights.
Your ticket includes a classic pub meal and a complimentary drink to kick off the night!
Event Details:
Venue:The Forresters, Surry Hills, Sydney
Format: Dinner, presentation, and participant-led discussion/networking
Featured Presentation: Avoiding Assumptions in Origin and Cause Investigation: The Role of Confirmation Bias
Speaker: Vithyaa Thavapalan -
About the Session:
This presentation will explore how assumptions and confirmation bias can influence forensic investigations across fire, engineering, failure analysis, and incident reconstruction contexts. Early information, scene damage, witness accounts, prior reports, or expected failure modes can sometimes shape an investigator’s reasoning before all evidence has been properly considered.
Using fire investigation examples as the primary case study context, the presentation will discuss the importance of applying a systematic methodology, developing and testing competing hypotheses, and clearly distinguishing between observations, assumptions, interpretation, and expert opinion.
The session will also consider how forensic engineers and investigators can avoid prematurely narrowing their focus, particularly when working with damaged, altered, or incomplete evidence. It will highlight the importance of transparent reasoning, appropriate language around uncertainty, and ensuring conclusions are supported by evidence rather than expectation.
Biography
Vithyaa Thavapalan is an internationally certified fire and explosion investigator and the Founder and Managing Director of Forensic Origin & Cause Investigations Pty Ltd. She has over 12 years’ experience in fire investigation and has completed investigations across Australia and internationally, including matters involving residential, commercial, industrial, vehicle, plant and equipment, and complex loss environments.
Vithyaa holds a Master of Forensic Science, a Graduate Diploma in Fire Investigation, and a Bachelor of Science. She provides origin and cause investigations, technical reviews, expert reports, and training for insurers, legal practitioners, loss adjusters, government, and private clients.
Her work focuses on applying a systematic, evidence-based methodology to determine fire origin and cause, while clearly communicating findings, limitations, and expert opinion in a manner that supports defensible causation analysis and expert reporting.
Following the presentation, we will open the floor to an interactive participant discussion, allowing you to share your own experiences, ask questions, and network with fellow professionals.
Spaces are limited for this inaugural dinner event. Don't miss out on a night of great food, sharp insights, and excellent company.
We look forward to seeing you there!