Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 9800; Flight Crew Type 5000
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
Upon arrival at the gate we complied with the station specific APU off procedures and refrained from starting the APU; we arrived at the gate with engine number 2 shut down and left #1 running.  The crew was in the proper position to park us and the Jetway driver was present; it took approximately 2.5 minutes to get the power turned on.  The safety hazard was that the ramp crew opened both cargo doors with an engine running and the beacon on.  They had a belt loader up to the forward door during this time as well.  I was tempted to shut the engine down right there but it was night and I feared creating a more adverse situation in the cabin going down to Emergency lights.During deplaning I asked the ramp lead if it was their procedure to start offloading bags with an engine running and he responded; 'No; no one is supposed to approach the plane until they get the safe to approach signal'.  He was standing in front of the nose of the plane and could see the other rampers opening the forward door and he did nothing.  However; another ramper did show him something on a cell phone during this period.
A B-737 Captain was distressed when; after a night gate arrival; both cargo doors were opened although the left engine was still running while awaiting ground power availability. A station policy directing that APUs not be utilized on arrival aircraft was cited as a contributing factor; as the running engine was required to power aircraft systems including lighting for deplaning passengers.