Hopefully, next time you are at a meeting and someone mentions a particular person, when discussing environmental and safety issues within the DOC, you will be able to mentally place them within the organization and understand their role and responsibility. A reaction could cause a container to be damaged, a hazardous spill, a toxic gas, a fire, or an explosion. Most organic liquids are flammable or combustible. Most oxidizing inorganic acids are corrosive and highly reactive. Safety cabinets are necessary for storing flammables, corrosives, oxidizers and toxics.
Shelves are adequate for general dry chemicals.
Above the bench is appropriate for reagents and frequent-use chemicals. A lip on the edge of shelves is advisable. This is not necessarily true. In fact, several factors should be used to evaluate proper hood performance. Organizations from various disciplines such as ventilation, health hygiene, the NRC and scientific equipment companies have developed specific criteria for evaluating hood performance.