GND CREW MEMBER ALMOST SUCKED INTO AN ENG WHEN IT IS STARTED UNEXPECTEDLY.

Narrative

UPON ENG START AT DAYTONA ARPT; WE HAD AN APU INOP AND WERE READY TO START. AT THIS TIME THE SIGNAL MAN SIGNALLED OUR STANDARD SIGNAL FOR STARTING ANY OR ALL ENGS. AT THIS TIME I POINTED TO THE #1 AND THE #2 ENG SINCE I NEVER SAW ANY OF THE AGENTS TO ASK THEM FOR THEIR PREFERENCE IN STARTING SINCE THEY HAD ALL THE EXTERNAL AIR AND PWR ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME HE SIGNALLED AGAIN TO START EITHER OR BOTH. SO BECAUSE OF THIS I UNDERSTOOD THAT HE MEANT TO START BOTH AT THE GATE; LIKE SOME STATIONS DO. ONCE WE STARTED AND THEY DISCONNECTED THE PWR AND AIR WE THEN TAXIED OUT AND WHILE TAXIING; OPS CALLED US ON THE RADIO AND TOLD US THAT THEY ALMOST HAD ONE OF THE AGENTS SUCKED INTO THE #2 ENG INLET AND STARTED BLAMING US FOR THE SCARE THAT THEY CAUSED BY NOT USING THE PROPER SIGNALS; NOR INFORMING US OF WHAT THEY HAD IN MIND FOR THE START. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A PROB WITH OUR COMPANY'S PROC SINCE IN SOME STATIONS THEY WANT YOU TO START ONLY THE L ENG. IN OTHER STATIONS THEY WANT THE R ONLY. IN OTHERS THEY WANT BOTH; AND IN OTHERS THEY DON'T CARE. I THINK THAT WHATEVER THE PROC IS; IT SHOULD BE MORE STANDARDIZED AND ALSO THE SIGNAL MAN SHOULD USE A HEADSET FOR COM ON THE INTERPHONE OR IF UNABLE; THEN HE SHOULD COME TO THE COCKPIT TO COORDINATE WITH THE CAPT; SO AS TO AVOID THIS KIND OF COMS BREAKDOWN.