GND SVC PROB. AFTER WALK AROUND INSPECTION BY CAPT; SVC PERSONNEL LEFT LAVATORY SVC PANEL OPEN. ANOTHER FLC RPTED IT. ACFT RETURNED TO RAMP.

Narrative

WE HAD A QUICK TURN AT LGA; 1 OF MANY THIS DAY; CAPT AND I BOTH LEFT THE ACFT MOMENTARILY TO GO INTO THE TERMINAL; WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE ACFT; THE CAPT DID AN EXTERNAL WALK AROUND WHILE I (THE FO) WENT INTO THE COCKPIT TO PICK UP THE ATIS AND THE CLRNC -- CAPT RETURNED -- AFTER WE WERE BOTH INSIDE THE ACFT; GND CREWS SVCED THE LAV -- ACCESS PANEL WAS LEFT OPEN. THERE IS NO ANNUNCIATOR ON THIS PANEL (OR THE FUELING PANEL) TO WARN COCKPIT CREWS OF THIS CONDITION. WE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE OPEN PANEL BY ANOTHER CREW IN ANOTHER ACFT AFTER BOTH ENGS HAD BEEN STARTED AND TAXI INITIATED. 2 PROBS 1) THE OPEN PANEL WAS IN FULL VIEW OF THE RAMP PERSON WHO CLRED US TO START ENGS. 2) NO ANNUNCIATOR. AS TO #1; WE RECENTLY HAD AN ACFT CLRED TO START THE R ENG WHILE A MECH WAS UPON A STEP LADDER PERFORMING A MAINT CHK ON THAT SAME ENG. THANKFULLY; NO INJURY. FOR #2; THE BEAN COUNTERS AT THE AIRLINE WOULD NEVER APPROVE THE INSTALLATION OF ANYTHING THAT WASN'T MANDATED OR BUILT IN. SEEMS THAT THE RAMP PEOPLE SHOULD BE IMPRESSED WITH THEIR POS IN THE CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 292319: DURING TAXI OUT FROM ACR RAMP; ANOTHER ACFT TOLD US OUR LAVATORY SVC DOOR WAS OPEN. RETURNED TO GATE; HAD SVC DOOR SECURED AND PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY. WE BELIEVE AN FAA INSPECTOR COULD HAVE SEEN US TAXI WITH THE DOOR OPEN. A PREFLT WAS PERFORMED HOWEVER IT OCCURRED BEFORE THE LAVATORY WAS SVCED. A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRUST IS PLACED WITH GND SUPPORT PERSONNEL TO DO THEIR JOBS CORRECTLY. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE IS TO DO A WALK AROUND IMMEDIATELY BEFORE DEP WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS PRACTICABLE.