Narrative:

We have many serious safety issues cropping up on a daily basis at this airline. Someone is going to get hurt or we are going to bend metal. On this single trip alone; I have twice had ground personnel open the cargo door with an engine running on that side of the airplane. I am getting tired of getting out of the cockpit and going down to tell the ground crewmen how to keep from getting hurt or foding a multimillion dollar engine. That is not my job! Management needs to train the people they are putting in harm's way and then monitor them to ensure that they comply with safety rules and common sense. I know it is unusual for the right engine to be running when we are at the gate but operational consideration sometimes make it necessary. The pilots cannot correct the entire airline; we expect management to do their job and train the people on the ramp. Twice on this trip; I have had improper marshalling signals. The first was on a flight to ZZZ. We sat for about 10 minutes before one person showed up to marshall us in. He did not have any sort of wands and stood in the shadows where I could barely see him. I parked the aircraft and waited. Why is it that he did not know that he required lighted wands at night? Training; or the lack thereof. The managers in charge are either not being given the tools to do the job or they are lax in their responsibilities. The second time was arriving in ZZZ1. It was dark and raining; the ramp was wet; we could not see the lead in line to the gate and it was not obvious where it was. The marshaler repeatedly gave us the go straight ahead signal and even when we taxied past the line; did not signal us to turn. In fact; he never signaled us to turn. We had to call into operations and have someone come out to replace this person. Why are the people working on the ramp untrained? What is going on at this airline? I am extremely frustrated with the operation over the last several months. Someone is going to get hurt; metal is going to be bent and the fault lies with the management for not training their people before putting them in harm's way. Some may say; well; it is contract people; not our people. That doesn't matter to me or to the passenger; our company contracted them and is responsible for making sure that they know what they are supposed to do. Is it really going to take someone getting hurt; killed; or an airplane damaged? At the end of a long day; when I am fatigued and just wanting to get to the hotel; the last thing I need is ground personnel making my job more difficult while putting themselves; my passenger and my aircraft at risk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT DETAILS MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF POORLY TRAINED CONTRACT GND PERSONNEL.

Narrative: WE HAVE MANY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES CROPPING UP ON A DAILY BASIS AT THIS AIRLINE. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT OR WE ARE GOING TO BEND METAL. ON THIS SINGLE TRIP ALONE; I HAVE TWICE HAD GND PERSONNEL OPEN THE CARGO DOOR WITH AN ENGINE RUNNING ON THAT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. I AM GETTING TIRED OF GETTING OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND GOING DOWN TO TELL THE GND CREWMEN HOW TO KEEP FROM GETTING HURT OR FODING A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ENGINE. THAT IS NOT MY JOB! MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO TRAIN THE PEOPLE THEY ARE PUTTING IN HARM'S WAY AND THEN MONITOR THEM TO ENSURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH SAFETY RULES AND COMMON SENSE. I KNOW IT IS UNUSUAL FOR THE R ENGINE TO BE RUNNING WHEN WE ARE AT THE GATE BUT OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATION SOMETIMES MAKE IT NECESSARY. THE PILOTS CANNOT CORRECT THE ENTIRE AIRLINE; WE EXPECT MANAGEMENT TO DO THEIR JOB AND TRAIN THE PEOPLE ON THE RAMP. TWICE ON THIS TRIP; I HAVE HAD IMPROPER MARSHALLING SIGNALS. THE FIRST WAS ON A FLT TO ZZZ. WE SAT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE ONE PERSON SHOWED UP TO MARSHALL US IN. HE DID NOT HAVE ANY SORT OF WANDS AND STOOD IN THE SHADOWS WHERE I COULD BARELY SEE HIM. I PARKED THE ACFT AND WAITED. WHY IS IT THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THAT HE REQUIRED LIGHTED WANDS AT NIGHT? TRAINING; OR THE LACK THEREOF. THE MANAGERS IN CHARGE ARE EITHER NOT BEING GIVEN THE TOOLS TO DO THE JOB OR THEY ARE LAX IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. THE SECOND TIME WAS ARRIVING IN ZZZ1. IT WAS DARK AND RAINING; THE RAMP WAS WET; WE COULD NOT SEE THE LEAD IN LINE TO THE GATE AND IT WAS NOT OBVIOUS WHERE IT WAS. THE MARSHALER REPEATEDLY GAVE US THE GO STRAIGHT AHEAD SIGNAL AND EVEN WHEN WE TAXIED PAST THE LINE; DID NOT SIGNAL US TO TURN. IN FACT; HE NEVER SIGNALED US TO TURN. WE HAD TO CALL INTO OPS AND HAVE SOMEONE COME OUT TO REPLACE THIS PERSON. WHY ARE THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THE RAMP UNTRAINED? WHAT IS GOING ON AT THIS AIRLINE? I AM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH THE OPERATION OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT; METAL IS GOING TO BE BENT AND THE FAULT LIES WITH THE MANAGEMENT FOR NOT TRAINING THEIR PEOPLE BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN HARM'S WAY. SOME MAY SAY; WELL; IT IS CONTRACT PEOPLE; NOT OUR PEOPLE. THAT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME OR TO THE PAX; OUR COMPANY CONTRACTED THEM AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO. IS IT REALLY GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE GETTING HURT; KILLED; OR AN AIRPLANE DAMAGED? AT THE END OF A LONG DAY; WHEN I AM FATIGUED AND JUST WANTING TO GET TO THE HOTEL; THE LAST THING I NEED IS GND PERSONNEL MAKING MY JOB MORE DIFFICULT WHILE PUTTING THEMSELVES; MY PAX AND MY AIRCRAFT AT RISK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.