Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Person / Animal / Bird
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
After we started engines we did a Taxi Check. We talked with the deice truck to see where they wanted us to park for deice. It was still dark and there was frost on the wings. I gave the ramp agent the thumbs up that we were ready to taxi. Ramp agent gave me the chocks out signal which I had forgotten to give so I returned the chocks out signal to them. The agent then started backing up away from the aircraft with their arms held out in front of them. I released the brake and started to roll forward for the taxi. I then saw a [ramp agent] run in front of the plane with the chocks in their hands. I did not know that ramp agent was down there and had gotten stuck on the opposite side of the plane (Taxiway side) after pulling the chocks. I put the brakes on until ramp agent cleared. After that we taxied to the deice location; where the ramp agent (guessing ramp manager) let me know that I just about ran over the [ramp agent] doing chocks. I told them that I had seen [the ramp agent] and that it scared me too. I also told them that I thought the agent was giving me a taxi forward signal.Slow down. Think about the people around the aircraft. It would help to have the wands held in the x position so that there is a definite stop signal. However the way their wands were held is also a hold position signal. I do find that that same signal is also used as a line up here signal by many ramp agents and so I misinterpreted it as them wanting me to go that way. I also think it would help to have the chocks turned so that the ramp agent removing them would be on the terminal side of the aircraft giving the agent an out in that situation.
CRJ-200 Captain reported narrowly missing a ramp employee when taxi was begun before the signal was given.