FOD FAQs

What is Foreign Object Damage?

• Foreign Object Damage or Foreign Object Debris (FOD) is any damage attributed to a foreign object that can damage in physical or economic terms that may or may not degrade the product’s required safety and/or performance characteristics.

Where does FOD come from?

• Most frequently, FOD damage is caused by tools- hardware misplaced in an aircraft during production and maintenance, garbage, bird strikes, stones, hail, ice, or bolts and metal shavings left on runways.

What is the impact of FOD?

• It is estimated that FOD costs the aerospace industry some US$4 billion per year causing expensive, significant damage every year to aircraft and may cause death and injury to workers, pilots and passengers.

What is a Shadowbox?

• A tool box with specific, marked locations for each tool so that a missing tool will be readily noticeable.

What is Tool Accountability?

• The primary objective of a positive tool accountability program is to eliminate accidents/incidents and loss of life or equipment due to tool FOD.

• There are numerous methods to facilitate accountability: use of shadow boards, shadowboxing, bar coding, special layouts with tool pockets, tool counters, chit system tool tags, or consolidated tool kits.

• Unique control methods should be implemented for special tools used in checkout, test and operational environments

• Tools/equipment should be contained in a tote tray, soft tool bag or other suitable spill-proof container and not placed in a manner that would cause damage to flight hardware or injury to personnel.