When you need to transport small hardware from its regular storage location to a remote work site, create a “Parts Kit.” A good kit may look sort of like fishing tackle, essentially a tote box containing several trays of differing sizes. Place in the empty Kit all of the hardware that you are likely to need and no more. If possible, do a precise count of what you placed in the Kit before beginning work and then again after you are finished.
When you remove old parts, consider taking them with you when exiting the FOD area, then writing up a short inventory document of removed parts before disposing of them. This way, you have accounted for every part that you handled, assuring that none of them were misplaced or inadvertently re-installed.
