Why do engineers wear white boiler suits?

[mustafa]

HI PRETTY NEW, just wondering why engineers wear white boiler suits. i know others may wear different colours but why mostly the colour white?

[scouselad]

My company wear orange out on deck!

[mustafa]

yes thanks but why does the colour white seem to be used the most for many years? is it because it is the cheapest ?

[penfold]

The nearest I've come to a serious answer is that flame-retardant covies are cheaper/easier to get in white, but that's a pretty flimsy bit of reasoning.

[GuinnessMan]

Because plain and simple white boiler suits are cheap as chips. No other reason.

That may sound a bit cynical, but it's the truth....

[mustafa]

thanks i just thought there may of been a historic reason why the colour was white

[Chiefy]

Ermmmm no white comes from the days of yore when steam was queen of the waves.

You get a steam leak or blast of steam at your boiler suit and it is blue or orange etc, instant tattoo. White has no dye's in it, safe and cleaner all round, but as has been commented upon it is dieing out (thankfully)

[penfold]

I'd be more worried about the parboiling than the possibility of a tattoo equivalent of a rorschach blot.

[GuinnessMan]

They're still the cheapest going...

[mustafa]

thanks chiefy i knew there would be a historic reason about it