Know the chemicals you deal with

An incident took place when phosphoric acid was inadvertently unloaded into a storage tank containing 12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite solution. The resulting chemical reaction of the two caused a chlorine gas release which affected the field operator. In another incident, a chemical that could be thermally decomposed was inadvertently stored near a steam pipe. The resulting heat transfer from the steam pipe caused a thermal decomposition later caused a fire in the warehouse in which the chemical was stored. Many of us do not treat chemicals with the respect they deserve. MSDS need to be understood by the people who handle chemicals. It is not just a matter of pasting the MSDS in the place where the chemicals are stored. it is a matter of understanding them.