Commercial Fixed Wing
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
The pilots chose to release the brakes prior to any contact from push crew. I entered push tractor and noticed brake lights were both off. Once wing walkers were in place I called Flight Deck and informed them we were ready to go. The flight record from ACARS shows [brakes] out a full 2 minutes prior to any contact from ground. The push crew was pulling chocks and closing up aircraft with equipment up to aircraft; creating a serious risk of injury to employees and customers; not to mention the chance of possible serious aircraft damage.
Ground crew reported brakes were released prior to notification.