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If you ever have a chance, read his book. He defends himself more than adequately and backs it all up with lots of facts and data. And while the 15.5 psi cabin ground test was not very safety oriented, on the day in question, NASA absolutely broke one of their own rules during the test.

One of the things that behaves differently in a high pressure, high oxygen content environment is electricity. Where two wires might have to be brought within a sixteenth of an inch to create a spark in normal atmosphere, in a high pressure/high oxygen environment a spark might jump several inches. That's the reason that NASA had a rule that this test could not be performed with ANY electrical component removed from the cabin. And if for some reason it absolutely had to be performed with it removed, there was a long detailed process for protecting and inerting a plug.

Unfortunately a box was missing. And it was right under Gus Grissom’s feet. Like all the suits at the time, his was metalized. He can be heard shifting around in his seat, and immediately thereafter the word ‘fire.’ Running that test not in compliance with their own rules cannot be laid anywhere but at NASA’s feet.