A B737-300 CAPT IS CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY OF GND PERSONNEL IN AREA OF THE R ENG OPERATING TO CONFORM TO MEL REQUIREMENTS.

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WE HAD 2 MAINT WRITE-UPS THAT HAD THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF REQUIRING US TO LEAVE THE R ENG RUNNING AT THE GATE UNTIL GETTING GND PWR AND STARTING THE R ENG AT THE GATE BEFORE DISCONNECTING GND PWR. THE WRITE-UPS WERE AN INOP APU GENERATOR AND AN EQUIP COOLING FAN THAT HAD TO BE OPERATED IN THE ALTERNATE POS. UPON ARR AT XYZ WE NOTIFIED BOTH RAMP AND MAINT THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO KEEP ALL GND PERSONNEL CLR FROM THE AIRPLANE UNTIL THE MECH HOOKED UP GND PWR. THE MESSAGE DIDN'T GET TO THE MECH SOON ENOUGH; AND SOMEONE OPENED THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WITH THE R ENG RUNNING. FOR SAFETY; WE IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENG. WE FLEW WITH THIS AIRPLANE ON 3 SUBSEQUENT LEGS THAT DAY. WE NOTIFIED EACH STATION VIA ACARS AND RADIO OF OUR SIT AND IN ALMOST EVERY SIT WE HAD GND PERSONNEL GET DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE R ENG WHILE IT WAS RUNNING. WE WOULD GET VERBAL AND/OR ACARS CONFIRMATION MESSAGES FROM THESE STATIONS ABOUT OUR SIT ONLY TO FIND THAT THE ACTUAL GND CREW (INCLUDING MECHS) WERE NOT AWARE OF OUR SIT. LEAVING THE R ENG RUNNING AT THE GATE IS; IN MY OPINION; A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.