A321
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Returned To Gate
Human Factors
[We were] dispatched with inoperative APU due to APU inlet icing while operating in freezing rain. Directed to proceed to De-Ice pad and contacted 'Snowman' on assigned frequency.  Detailed APU problem and notified them 4 to 6 times that we had 'both engines running'.  Asked if we would de-ice with both engines on or one off?  Informed as we entered Spot X on pad to shut down #1/left Engine for de-ice/anti-ice fluid application.  As we parked brakes and prepared to shut down engine; Snowman informed us that De-Ice Personnel had approached aircraft 'too soon' and had headset sucked into #1/left engine. After ensuring employee was safe and unharmed; we contacted ATC; Operations; Maintenance and Ramp and returned to gate.Better communications among de-icing crew.  Coordinators are talking on both VHF and Mobile radios to their crew. Patience and safety awareness by ground crew.  Have noted less 'care and respect' for Airbus.  Not afforded the same inlet or exhaust awareness as the 737/757 fleets.  This is still a 'real aircraft' and the engines have similar danger areas.
An A321 Captain reported that during ground de-ice procedures a ground employee came so close to a running engine his headset was sucked into the nacelle.