BAGGAGE CART BLOWN OVER AFTER JET BLAST ENCOUNTER DURING RAMP OP PUSHBACK RAMP DEP PROC.

Narrative

I WAS THE CAPT; OPERATING MLG ON AUG/SUN/92 FROM IAH TO ABQ. THE GATE AGENT CLOSED THE FLT ON SCHEDULE; AFTER THAT; THE RAMP SIGNALMAN GAVE ME THE SIGNAL TO START ENGS AND THEN WALKED AWAY. AFTER THAT SPACE OF ABOUT 5 MINS; I SHUT DOWN THE ENGS; OPENED THE WINDOW AND ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON (NO HEADSET OR PROPER COCKPIT TO GND COM). WAS INFORMED WE WERE WAITING FOR LUGGAGE. THE JETWAY RETURNED FOR 1 ADDITIONAL PAX. JETWAY THEN CLOSED. STARTED ENGS THE SECOND TIME. THE RAMP MAN WALKED AWAY AGAIN (THERE WAS TRAINING AT THE NEXT GATE. A LOT OF PEOPLE MILLING AROUND). JETWAY CAME UP THE THIRD TIME. THOUGH WE HAD JUST ARRIVED. I THOUGHT I SAW A MAN RAISE HIS HANDS AND I STARTED FORWARD. THE FO WAS BUSY; RAISED HIS HEAD AND TOLD ME TO STOP. I DID. A BAGGAGE CART WAS BEHIND THE ACFT AND WAS BLOWN OVER (I DISCOVERED THIS LATER). WE FINALLY POWERED BACK AND LEFT ON OUR TRIP TO ABQ. CAUSES? NO COM BTWN RAMP AND COCKPIT. NO COOPERATION BTWN FO AND CAPT. 'HEADS UP.' 120 NEW RAMP PERSONNEL HIRED WITH NO EXPERIENCE. TRAINING NEEDS TO BE CLASSROOM; NOT ON THE JOB; GND HANDLING ACFT.