I am not afraid of chemicals but I tend to be cautious when I handle them. I am wearing nitrile gloves and since I know that I am sensitive to fixer, I try to wash of splashes as soon as possible.
In my opinion it is pretty useless to be afraid of chemicals, your hands may start to shake and you spill more of it than you might have spilled in the first place. Being totally careless, on the other hand, is also not a good idea. It is important to show some healthy respect for potentially hazardous chemicals and to handle them cautiously. To paraphrase one professors at my university: “It is always a good idea to know what you are touching, before you touch it.”
As mentioned earlier in this thread, dust and fumes can be harmful too. A short story based on that:
A friend of mine worked as a ceramist. Prior to that she attained a polytechnic school for art and design specialising in ceramics. She was a freelancing artist and was able to make a living from it. After two or three years she got asthmatic attacks and rashes all over her body when she entered her atelier. Although she had paid attention to wear a dust respirator while working with dried pieces and to keep the place clean, she developed an allergy to the unfired glazes and the fumes emerging the kiln while firing. In the end she had to give up her profession.
Yes I know the chemicals involved are entirely different. I want to emphasize that if one develops an allergy, it can get that bad that one has to give up hobby or work.
-martin-