A B747-400 CAPT REPORTS A GROUND EMPLOYEE COMING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO A RUNNING ENGINE ON THE RAMP AT LAX.

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DANGEROUS OP BY FUELER. INITIAL ACFT STATUS: INOP APU. THE VERY FIRST NOTAM FOR ZZZ STATES; 'AVOID SENDING ACFT WITH INOP APU'S TO ZZZ.' 'ZZZ ALL MOBILE ACFT UNITS OTS NO ESTIMATE FOR A RETURN TO SVC. IF POSSIBLE; AVOID SENDING ACFT WITH INOP APU'S TO ZZZ. COORD NEEDED BTWN DISPATCH AND OPS.' IN OUR CASE; THE COMPANY GOT AN EXTENSION FROM THE FAA TO CONTINUE THE DEFERRAL. FOLLOWING ENG START; ON INITIAL TAXI WE GOT EICAS OIL FILTER BYPASS #4 ENG. CONFERRED WITH MAINT WHO DIRECTED WE RETURN TO THE GATE TO HAVE THE CHIP DETECTOR CHKED AND FILTER REPLACED WITH THE APU INOP; WE WERE DIRECTED BY GND STAFF TO KEEP #1 ENG RUNNING UNTIL THEY COULD GET GND PWR CONNECTED TO THE ACFT. THE FUELER DROVE THE FUEL TRUCK AND PARKED BTWN #1 AND #2 ENGS WHILE #1 ENG WAS STILL RUNNING; THEN WAS OBSERVED BY OBSERVER ARPT OPS GETTING OUT OF THE TRUCK AND WALKING AROUND THE OPERATING ENG. THIS HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE A FATAL MISTAKE. EVEN A PERSONAL ITEM (HAT; CLIPBOARD; PEN; ETC) COULD HAVE BECOME FOD AND CAUSED CANCELLATION OF THE FLT. LEARNED; SUBSEQUENTLY; THAT FUELER IS NOT A COMPANY EMPLOYEE -- THE FUELING HAS BEEN OUTSOURCED. SUGGEST FUELING STAFF BE GIVEN TRAINING OF HAZARDS AND DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATING NEAR AN OPERATING ENG; SO AS TO AVOID POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE.