Narrative:

After captain called 'salute and release from guidance' I performed my flows and called metering to let them know we were ready for taxi. They told me to change over to ground and monitor for our taxi clearance. Before I could change the frequency; the captain said; 'look at that guy; he's coming to the airplane.' I brought my head up to see the ramp worker that pushed us back slowly walking to our airplane with his headset in his hand. He didn't make any attempt to signal us or establish visual contact with hand signals. He walked right up to the nose; without stopping; and plugged right in. If the captain hadn't seen him approaching the airplane; he would have been out of our field of view right when we were receiving our taxi clearance pushing the power up. This man was very close to losing his life. What precipitated this whole thing was a need to have bags removed for positive bag match. All of the rest of the confusion; including us blocking the alley; and the lack of communications between the ramp workers; ramp frequency and us is all great material for an operations report. However; one thing came up; that sent a chill down my spine. While the captain was discussing what happened with the ramp worker; at one point; the ramp worker said; 'I had no choice.' meaning he felt he 'had' to violate SOP and basic common sense and saunter back up to an airplane moving on its own power and plug in. Either this one person is completely oblivious to safe practice around aircraft; or there is a terrible culture problem in our O'hare ground operations where individuals are ordered to do unsafe; nonstandard things and feel they must comply without recourse. We nearly had a fatality yesterday simply because someone violated SOP; common aviation practices; and general common sense. I don't know if it is a training/screening issue or a larger corporate culture problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER B737 FLT CREW WAS RELEASED AND ABOUT TO TAXI; PUSHBACK CREW APPROACHED THE ACFT WITHOUT NOTIFYING COCKPIT OF HIS INTENTIONS.

Narrative: AFTER CAPT CALLED 'SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE' I PERFORMED MY FLOWS AND CALLED METERING TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE READY FOR TAXI. THEY TOLD ME TO CHANGE OVER TO GND AND MONITOR FOR OUR TAXI CLRNC. BEFORE I COULD CHANGE THE FREQ; THE CAPT SAID; 'LOOK AT THAT GUY; HE'S COMING TO THE AIRPLANE.' I BROUGHT MY HEAD UP TO SEE THE RAMP WORKER THAT PUSHED US BACK SLOWLY WALKING TO OUR AIRPLANE WITH HIS HEADSET IN HIS HAND. HE DIDN'T MAKE ANY ATTEMPT TO SIGNAL US OR ESTABLISH VISUAL CONTACT WITH HAND SIGNALS. HE WALKED RIGHT UP TO THE NOSE; WITHOUT STOPPING; AND PLUGGED RIGHT IN. IF THE CAPT HADN'T SEEN HIM APCHING THE AIRPLANE; HE WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF OUR FIELD OF VIEW RIGHT WHEN WE WERE RECEIVING OUR TAXI CLRNC PUSHING THE PWR UP. THIS MAN WAS VERY CLOSE TO LOSING HIS LIFE. WHAT PRECIPITATED THIS WHOLE THING WAS A NEED TO HAVE BAGS REMOVED FOR POSITIVE BAG MATCH. ALL OF THE REST OF THE CONFUSION; INCLUDING US BLOCKING THE ALLEY; AND THE LACK OF COMS BTWN THE RAMP WORKERS; RAMP FREQ AND US IS ALL GREAT MATERIAL FOR AN OPS RPT. HOWEVER; ONE THING CAME UP; THAT SENT A CHILL DOWN MY SPINE. WHILE THE CAPT WAS DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE RAMP WORKER; AT ONE POINT; THE RAMP WORKER SAID; 'I HAD NO CHOICE.' MEANING HE FELT HE 'HAD' TO VIOLATE SOP AND BASIC COMMON SENSE AND SAUNTER BACK UP TO AN AIRPLANE MOVING ON ITS OWN PWR AND PLUG IN. EITHER THIS ONE PERSON IS COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO SAFE PRACTICE AROUND ACFT; OR THERE IS A TERRIBLE CULTURE PROB IN OUR O'HARE GND OPS WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE ORDERED TO DO UNSAFE; NONSTANDARD THINGS AND FEEL THEY MUST COMPLY WITHOUT RECOURSE. WE NEARLY HAD A FATALITY YESTERDAY SIMPLY BECAUSE SOMEONE VIOLATED SOP; COMMON AVIATION PRACTICES; AND GENERAL COMMON SENSE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS A TRAINING/SCREENING ISSUE OR A LARGER CORPORATE CULTURE PROB.

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.