Phenol is a common chemical used for activities such as DNA/RNA extraction. Phenol can be a component in a commercial reagent (e.g. QIAzol, TRIzol) or prepared as part of a mixture in the laboratory (e.g. chloroform:phenol). Because phenol solutions are an integral part of routine life science applications, their hazards may be taken for granted. Phenol can be very dangerous and the hazards are not just those of a typical corrosive. The hazards of phenol are 2 fold. It is both a corrosive(can cause severe burns) and toxic(absorbed phenol acts as a systemic toxin). In one case, death resulted from ingestion of as little as 15 mL. Liquid phenol can penetrate the skin with efficiency approximately equal to that of inhalation. Deaths have been reported for exposures of 25% or more of body surface area. Phenol has an anesthetic effect and can cause severe burns that may not be immediately painful or visible. The threshold concentration of human skin damage from phenol is 1.5%. It can cause permanent eye injury and blindness. Regarding first aid for dermal (skin) exposures, recommendations are that use polyethylene glycol 300 or 400 (PEG-300 or PEG-400), rather than water, for immediate first aid treatment of dermal exposures. In addition, all laboratory group members should take the need for appropriate personal protective equipment seriously and require its use as part of the laboratory's standard operating procedures. For phenol spill on a floor or bench (non-body case) use an absorbent (for ex. Vermiculite). After it soaks the liquid collect them into plastic bag and store together with other toxic/phenol waste bellow the fume hood in a ventilated cabinet.