AN EMB145 CAPT COMMENTS THAT HIS ACR'S DELAYED APU START POLICY CREATES A HAZARD FOR GATE GND PERSONNEL BECAUSE THE ENGS RUN UNTIL THE APU IS ON-LINE.

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UPON REACHING THE GATE; I SET THE PARKING BRAKE. I STARTED THE APU. WITH THE BEACON ON AND THE ENGS RUNNING; THE CARGO BIN DOOR WAS OPENED UP AND THE RAMP AGENTS BEGAN UNLOADING WHILE THE ENGS WERE RUNNING. WHEN THE APU CAME ON-LINE; I SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND TURNED OFF THE BEACON. COMPANY POLICY OF WAITING TO START THE APU AT THE GATE IS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE TO OUR ACFT IN THE FUTURE. THE RAMP AGENTS DO NOT PAY ANY ATTN TO THE RUNNING OF THE BEACON AND THE ENGS. A FOD INGESTION IS IMMINENT. THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE DIVERSION OF ATTN OF THE ENG SHUTDOWN PROCS. WHEN THAT DOOR OPENED; MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON THOSE GUYS OPENING THAT DOOR; NOT ON A PROPER SHUTDOWN TO WHICH MY ATTN SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED. OUR FO'S SHOULD BE ABLE TO MONITOR AND START THE APU'S ON THE TAXI IN. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE CAPT TO PAY PROPER ATTN TO THE TASK AT HAND. THIS WOULD REDUCE OUR PLT WORKLOAD AND MAKE FOR A SAFER OP. I FIND OUR CURRENT POLICY DANGEROUS AND IN NEED OF SOME SERIOUS RETHINKING.