B737-800
Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Hazardous Material Violation; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Human Factors; Procedure
I was the Crew Chief assigned with my crew to unload aircraft X that arrived on Date at ZZZ  at Gate at approx. XA:40 hrs. My fleet service crew was unloading bags in the front cargo (F2) and had been unloading for a while when FSA Name; one of my two men unloading inside the cargo; called me. I immediately went to the cargo door where he was unloading bags and he brought to my attention a liquid unknown substance inside the belly (F2 cargo compartment) as he was still unloading bags along with his partner who was deeper inside the cargo compartment. I saw a dark color small amount of an unknown liquid substance in the cargo compartment. One or two minutes later the two FSAs finished unloading the bags in the cargo compartment when they now showed me that there was a substantial amount of this unknown liquid substance (in puddles) deep at the end (in the rear) of the aircraft cargo compartment at approx. XB:00 hrs. Nobody knew what the dark color unknown liquid substance was or where it came from. The two FSAs unloading; myself or any of the FSA drivers assigned that picked up the bags from the belt loader (equipment) saw or said anything unusual about any particular bag dripping or leaking. We all didn't see or noticed any specific bag leaking liquid as a possible potential source for the large amount of this unknown liquid substance in the cargo. So because of that reason; we could not say or understand; we had no idea; where all this unknown dark color liquid substance came from.I have no factual knowledge of how the spill event occurred. I realized the event of the spill of this unknown dark color substance in the cargo compartment floor once we emptied and had unloaded all the bags  from the cargo compartment when I now had full visual of the cargo floor and the unknown liquid puddles. I had seen a small amount (smaller than the size of the palm of the hand) of this unknown liquid substance in the cargo compartment door floor but it was when the cargo was emptied that now we can see that there was a spill and a substantial amount of this dark color unknown substance. We can not tell or say in a responsible manner; how the event of the spill of this dark color unknown liquid substance reached and was all over the floor in the cargo compartment. We unloaded all bags and no one noticed anything special. There were approx. 4 or 5 more people (FSAs) receiving and picking up the unloaded bags from the belt loader and no one noticed anything special or saw a dripping liquid bag. There was not a bag noticeably leaking this substance.What we do know; is that once the cargo was unloaded; we could see that there was a substantial amount of this unknown liquid all over the cargo; but specially; mostly; at the very end in the back of the cargo compartment floor. Once the event of the spill of an unknown liquid substance was identified; I immediately called on my radio from the aircraft immediate area the Zone X Ramp CSM (Manager) assigned to Gate. The Manager (CSM) came; I explained to him the irregular situation and he confirmed the spill of an unknown dark liquid substance with a visual inspection from the aircraft cargo compartment door. I told the CSM that this was a quick turn (meaning that the aircraft was supposed to be loaded immediately after the unloading was completed so as to start working and preparing it for an outbound flight) but that we were not going to load the aircraft until the spill with the unknown substance in the cargo compartment was taken care of because the Plan for the outbound flight called for loading bags in that same F2 cargo compartment full of this unknown liquid substance. He then; immediately; from the aircraft safety envelope in the ramp; called someone from his cell phone. The CSM left and came back to the aircraft with a white rubber small garbage can; a bottle of spray with some transparent liquid in it and a thick new paper towel roll to clean it. I told the CSM; 'what are you doing?'; as I saw his intention to get in the cargo and clean the spill himself. I said to the CSM; 'you can't do that. You have to call the Environmental Coordinator (EC) to see what the unknown substance is and once he clears the scene then it can be cleaned up. The CSM said; 'that looks like oil.' I said to the CSM; 'well; if it's oil then we also need to call Maintenance to see where it came from and check the aircraft cause we don't know where it came from; if it's from the aircraft. This is a team effort that includes the Environmental Coordinator and Maintenance.' So the CSM started making phone calls from the ramp and stepped aside so that I could not hear his phone conversations. The CSM then said; 'we need to get Maintenance here to see if the oil came from this aircraft or if it's going to damage or create problems to other components of the aircraft' and I agreed and said; 'Right; but you need to bring the Environmental Coordinator because that's an unknown substance and we are not supposed to check what the unknown liquid substance is.' Because it was cold outside; and we were waiting; I then went inside the [building] to wait for the EC and Maintenance. About 20 or 30 minutes later the CSM walked in the [building] and asked if the Environmental Coordinator had come? I said; 'No; I haven't seen anyone.' The CSM then immediately said that the EC had come. And I said; 'And what did he say?' The CSM inside the [building] were my crew was then said; 'He said that it's oil.' The CSM then said we are waiting for Maintenance; and left the [building]. About 10 or 15 minutes later an Aircraft Maintenance mechanic came in the [building] and said he checked the cargo and that it was bad. He said that aircraft is not going anywhere like that until it's cleaned because he said that the liquid could spread and go through the panels into other aircraft places and that he called his immediate Supervisor. The Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor (Crew Chief) came in and he said that it was not oil. He said that he thinks it's wood varnish. I told him that the Ramp CSM had said that the Environmental Coordinator had come and checked it and that the EC said it was oil. The Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor then told me that the Environmental Coordinator had not come to the aircraft. So I asked; 'how do you know?'. The Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor then said that if the Environmental Coordinator had come he would be there because the EC can't leave until it's cleaned. The Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor also said that he; personally; has been the Environmental Coordinator before; that he exercised that job prior to now. He also said that the EC comes with a pH Kit to test the unknown liquid substance. The Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor then called for the Environmental Coordinator and as we waited; he told us (the other Aircraft Mechanic and myself) a story about when he was EC there was a transmission in a checked bag that had liquid in it and spilled and reached other substance found in fertilizer and it created a fire in the cargo compartment. Then a second CSM that I normally see as Allocator showed up with the same white rubber garbage can; the same spray bottle and a roll of paper towel. I told him; 'What are you doing?' This new CSM responded; 'I'm doing my job.' So I asked this new CSM; 'Are you the Environmental Coordinator?' He then looked at me and DID NOT answer the question. He went in the cargo compartment to start cleaning the spill with no gloves; protective equipment or nothing. I stuck my head in the belly (cargo compartment) and asked this new CSM again; 'Are you the Environmental Coordinator?' And he now responded 'YES' in front of the Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor. So I asked him; 'And where is your pH Kit?' And he looked at me and he looked like he did not know what to answer.  In fact; he didn't answer. The Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor then said to me that he is the Environmental Coordinator. But fact is he had no protective equipment; no pH Kit; no testing equipment; he had nothing but a white small rubber garbage can; a spray bottle of Windex or some regular cleaner and a paper towel roll. He was unable to show proof; the tools; equipment and not even a credential. The other original Zone X Ramp CSM also showed up now and also went in the cargo compartment to help clean too with no protective equipment either. The Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor had said that it was not oil; that his guess was that it was wood varnish. If it was wood varnish; the resins and solvents used in wood varnish are toxic. Many varnish products contain benzene; which is a known carcinogen that is HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. The solvents in varnish are extremely pungent; and the fumes can cause drowsiness; headaches; skin irritation and dizziness. Fact is; nobody knows what it was; if toxic; and to what extent or where it came from. Procedure is not to try to find out what the unknown substance is and to call the Environmental Coordinator who based on testings will decide whether it's safe and issue a clearance. Next day; I spoke to CSM Name in Bag room D PM Shift and he said that he is the EC along with the Lead EC who's another different person and not the CSM that showed up claiming that he was the EC while having no protective equipment nor any testing equipment. This all is very embarrassing; totally unsafe and does not follow protocol which is there for our protection. Next time the results could be disastrous.The protocol is in place but decision makers in Management do not follow their own protocol. Protocol is there to protect all of us. Not only is management setting a bad example for not following protocols; rules and regulations; but by management's decision making of not following it; in this particular case; by not complying with rules and regulations; management's decision making puts us all at risk and exposes us to harm and unsafe working conditions.
Air Carrier Ground Crew Chief reported finding an unknown liquid puddle during unloading cargo compartment. Ramp Manager arrived and cleaned up the liquid without following environmental cleanup protocol.