Dodger,
I spent a couple of weeks, whlist in the RAF, at Heathrow, with an aircraft. I admit that it was a while ago but a comment by one of 'The Worlds favourite airline' managers stopped me in my tracks.
In one of the canteens there was a tool setup for anyone to purchase tools from. I asked this guy about tool control if anyone bought their own from here. His reply was, "if you lose one of your own tools it hurts you in the pocket, not the companies"!
I spoke to one of the engineers later on a 747 and asked him the same question. He recalled a time when he was working in the bilges, so to speak, and found a hammer he had lost 2 years before!!!!!
Nuff said.