Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 250; Flight Crew Total 14800; Flight Crew Type 700
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Chart Or Publication; Aircraft; Company Policy; Procedure
Zone disregarded flight deck direction and put a mechanic in an unsafe situation.The mechanic was working on the TV panel at the entry of the aircraft.  We asked via operations frequency to stop boarding for maintenance.  Boarding continued.  We asked operations why.  The response was that zone had decided we did not need to delay boarding.  The zone person made that decision without asking for additional information. We had asked to delay boarding because the mechanic was being pushed up against an exposed high power panel where he was working by passengers boarding.Who is the final authority of the aircraft once the crew is onboard and passengers have started boarding?FOM states ...The captain's authority is absolute during all flight-related operations including pre- and post-flight decisions. I reviewed the FOM and found references to coordination including dispatch and [operations] but nowhere could I find that zone control had authority.I would like an answer to who has final authority in this instance.
A B737 Captain attempted to stop passenger boarding to protect a Mechanic working near hazardous equipment but a company zone person refused his request; overriding the Captain's authority as described in the FOM.