RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL WEARING PARENT COMPANY UNIFORMS PRESENT A POTENTIAL SECURITY RISK.

Date: 2004-05

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL WEARING PARENT COMPANY UNIFORMS PRESENT A POTENTIAL SECURITY RISK.

Narrative

I CALLED FOR A MECH AND ONE SHOWED UP TO HANDLE THE PROB. I INITIALLY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT HIS ABILITY UNTIL I SAW HE WAS WEARING AN ACR JACKET WITH A MECH'S PATCH. THAT CAUSED ME TO MENTALLY STEP BACK AND AFFORD HIM THE CREDIBILITY THE UNIFORM PROVIDES. UPON ARR AT DFW; I LEARNED THAT THE MECH WAS A CONTRACT MECH AND THE COMPANY ALLOWS CONTRACT PERSONNEL TO WEAR ACR UNIFORMS. THIS PRACTICE; IF IT EXISTS; DIRECTLY IMPACTS FLT SAFETY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) IT MISREPRESENTS THE CONTRACT PERSONNEL AS HAVING BEEN TRAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACR PROCS AND PROFICIENT IN THEIR REQUIRED DUTIES. 2) CONTRACT PERSONNEL DO NOT UNDERGO THE SAME PRE-HIRE SCREENING THAT ACR EMPLOYEES GO THROUGH AND; AS SUCH; POSE A HIGHER RISK AROUND OUR ACFT. WITH ACR UNIFORMS THEY CAN PASS THEMSELVES OFF AS A BETTER SECURITY RISK THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE. HAD I KNOWN THAT THE MECH WAS NOT AN ACR MECH; I WOULD HAVE PLAYED A MUCH MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN THE TROUBLESHOOTING AND LOGBOOK SIGNOFF. I CANNOT SUGGEST STRONGLY ENOUGH THAT THIS PRACTICE BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND ALL UNIFORMS PROVIDED TO CONTRACT PERSONNEL BE CONFISCATED ASAP. ANYTHING LESS DISPLAYS A DISREGARD TO PROVIDE THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT FOR ACR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR PAX.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.