Comment by fc417fc802
7 hours ago
That's not quite accurate (but close enough). We had HF in the chem lab. It lived in a dedicated metal box with a massive neon warning label and a padlock.
It's notable in comparison that all the deadly organics lived together in an unlocked cupboard (vented OFC). I think the only thing I ever saw treated as more of a pariah than HF were radioactive isotopes. Those generally get an entire dedicated room with restricted entry and a tedious mandatory cleaning procedure.
As usual for particularly nasty crap, Derek Lowe has written amusingly about why he won't work with it[1].
[1] https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-tou...
Makes sense. HF deserves the same awe as radioactive material. I've always found both fascinating. Like some kind of dark magic that curses you if you contact it.