"Martin Evans" wrote in message
...
....and bits of metal dangling from his waistband and god knows what
in his pockets. OK so he's only at ground level and on earth objects
rarely fall upwards but every time I see any USA production or repair
facility the dress code seems to be slapdash (i.e jeans and t shirt)
and just perfect for loosing foreign objects into the depths of the
airframe. In comparison facilities overseas and particularly in Europe
appear *much* more strict.

Jeans and Tee's are the preferred dress for people who work in the orbiter.
There's a lot of climbing and squeezing into tight spaces, all prime
opportunities to slice your nice Dockers open on safety wire. But before
going into the orbiter one must empty their pockets, remove or wrap their
watch with tape, and remove or tape any jewelry. Glasses must be tethered,
as are tools. A strict record of materials and tools taken into the orbiter
is kept. The record is checked upon exit to be sure nothing was left inside.

NASA knows that FOD kills and has taken appropriate measures to deal with
it. A dress code is not necessary.