Some wine gets better with age, some chemicals do not. This Diethyl Ether had an expiration 4 years before EHS received it, not to mention the obvious degradation of the container. Proper handling of items such as this is expensive – a specialized crew has to be mobilized to safely open the container and stabilize the contents. More importantly, it poses a hazard to Lab Personnel, HazMat staff and others.
For chemicals in your EHSA inventory, you'll be given a notice when they are scheduled to expire - PAY ATTENTION. In addition, periodically - at least annually - physically inspect your inventory and get rid of anything that "looks bad."
. . .that old drum had to be handled
with extreme care earlier this summer.