I heard once an instructor recommending his trainee that if he has to start the prop manually, he must do it from behind the prop (next to the engine cowl), so in the case that everything goes wrong, you are not in the path of the aircraft. This tip was for a P28 and a C172. Sure it's not the most comfortable way to spin the prop, but he had a point with the fact that your are not in front of the aircraft. What do you think?