Narrative:

Normal pushback with salute and release from guidance; started 2 engines for taxi out. As we called metering for taxi; we saw a ramp guy running towards the airplane. We were not sure what was happening. Next we knew he was on the headset huffing about some paperwork; we quickly shut down #2 engine. We finally figured out he was trying to give us paperwork for radioactive hazmat paperwork. I informed him that he should not run up to the aircraft after released without getting ramp control contact. I asked him to leave the aircraft to get something to hand us the paperwork after I made contact with ramp control. Before we even had a chance to contact ramp; I saw him driving a belt-loader around the front of the airplane first on the right then the left side. We were getting uncomfortable to his mindset and intention. We waved him away. He finally got the message and parked the belt-loader about 30 ft away and again approached the aircraft with headset. This time I told him to disconnect and do not re-approach the aircraft without ramp control clearance. We contacted ramp and informed them of what just transpired and asked ramp to coordinate with the ramper before he is to come back to the aircraft with paperwork. We did not hear from ramp on what their plan was and next we knew 3 other rampers came towards the aircraft; again we waved them away and they plugged in their headset. I told them again to disconnect and do not approach the aircraft without ramp control coordination. Just as we were talking to ramp control on what their plan was; we saw 2 other carts drive up to the airplane and start walking underneath the aircraft. I again tried to wave them away and at this time we were getting APU bleed fault. We now knew shutting down the #1 engine will have to be a last resort in case the ramper came too close to the left side. We now requested to have a supervisor come to aircraft and get on the headset. Finally the supervisor came on and explained what had transpired for the last 30 mins. His concern was that they didn't know what happened and they just wanted to deliver the paperwork to not cause further problem. I told him that my concern was that the ramp personnel were doing things totally without concerns for procedures that were set up for their safety; just to finish the paperwork. Not by 1 ramper but by 5 different rampers driving around the aircraft without coordinating with anybody. Ramp controllers were just as unconcerned about safety procedures for approaching the aircraft perhaps because they were so tied up with other aircraft. This incident could have turned ugly and tragic had we not been aware of these running rampers. This is the result of pushing people to do too much with little regards to their 'best' interest of safety on hand. We are not cultivating the 'safety first and above all' thing culture anymore.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PILOT REPORTS RAMP PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT APCHING THE ACFT AFTER ENG STARTS TO DELIVER HAZMAT PAPERWORK WITHOUT REGARD FOR RUNNING ENGS.

Narrative: NORMAL PUSHBACK WITH SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE; STARTED 2 ENGS FOR TAXI OUT. AS WE CALLED METERING FOR TAXI; WE SAW A RAMP GUY RUNNING TOWARDS THE AIRPLANE. WE WERE NOT SURE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. NEXT WE KNEW HE WAS ON THE HEADSET HUFFING ABOUT SOME PAPERWORK; WE QUICKLY SHUT DOWN #2 ENG. WE FINALLY FIGURED OUT HE WAS TRYING TO GIVE US PAPERWORK FOR RADIOACTIVE HAZMAT PAPERWORK. I INFORMED HIM THAT HE SHOULD NOT RUN UP TO THE ACFT AFTER RELEASED WITHOUT GETTING RAMP CTL CONTACT. I ASKED HIM TO LEAVE THE ACFT TO GET SOMETHING TO HAND US THE PAPERWORK AFTER I MADE CONTACT WITH RAMP CTL. BEFORE WE EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO CONTACT RAMP; I SAW HIM DRIVING A BELT-LOADER AROUND THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE FIRST ON THE R THEN THE L SIDE. WE WERE GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE TO HIS MINDSET AND INTENTION. WE WAVED HIM AWAY. HE FINALLY GOT THE MESSAGE AND PARKED THE BELT-LOADER ABOUT 30 FT AWAY AND AGAIN APCHED THE ACFT WITH HEADSET. THIS TIME I TOLD HIM TO DISCONNECT AND DO NOT RE-APCH THE ACFT WITHOUT RAMP CTL CLRNC. WE CONTACTED RAMP AND INFORMED THEM OF WHAT JUST TRANSPIRED AND ASKED RAMP TO COORDINATE WITH THE RAMPER BEFORE HE IS TO COME BACK TO THE ACFT WITH PAPERWORK. WE DID NOT HEAR FROM RAMP ON WHAT THEIR PLAN WAS AND NEXT WE KNEW 3 OTHER RAMPERS CAME TOWARDS THE ACFT; AGAIN WE WAVED THEM AWAY AND THEY PLUGGED IN THEIR HEADSET. I TOLD THEM AGAIN TO DISCONNECT AND DO NOT APCH THE ACFT WITHOUT RAMP CTL COORD. JUST AS WE WERE TALKING TO RAMP CTL ON WHAT THEIR PLAN WAS; WE SAW 2 OTHER CARTS DRIVE UP TO THE AIRPLANE AND START WALKING UNDERNEATH THE ACFT. I AGAIN TRIED TO WAVE THEM AWAY AND AT THIS TIME WE WERE GETTING APU BLEED FAULT. WE NOW KNEW SHUTTING DOWN THE #1 ENG WILL HAVE TO BE A LAST RESORT IN CASE THE RAMPER CAME TOO CLOSE TO THE L SIDE. WE NOW REQUESTED TO HAVE A SUPVR COME TO ACFT AND GET ON THE HEADSET. FINALLY THE SUPVR CAME ON AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED FOR THE LAST 30 MINS. HIS CONCERN WAS THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY JUST WANTED TO DELIVER THE PAPERWORK TO NOT CAUSE FURTHER PROB. I TOLD HIM THAT MY CONCERN WAS THAT THE RAMP PERSONNEL WERE DOING THINGS TOTALLY WITHOUT CONCERNS FOR PROCS THAT WERE SET UP FOR THEIR SAFETY; JUST TO FINISH THE PAPERWORK. NOT BY 1 RAMPER BUT BY 5 DIFFERENT RAMPERS DRIVING AROUND THE ACFT WITHOUT COORDINATING WITH ANYBODY. RAMP CTLRS WERE JUST AS UNCONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY PROCS FOR APCHING THE ACFT PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY WERE SO TIED UP WITH OTHER ACFT. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE TURNED UGLY AND TRAGIC HAD WE NOT BEEN AWARE OF THESE RUNNING RAMPERS. THIS IS THE RESULT OF PUSHING PEOPLE TO DO TOO MUCH WITH LITTLE REGARDS TO THEIR 'BEST' INTEREST OF SAFETY ON HAND. WE ARE NOT CULTIVATING THE 'SAFETY FIRST AND ABOVE ALL' THING CULTURE ANYMORE.

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.