Toluene is safe, as long as you use the right safety procautions. I've never used gloves when working with the green putty. But when you think about the limited amount of time your skin is acutally in contact with the putty, its not long. I just make sure i wash my hands straight after using it.
Toluene is also a excellent octane boost (20% mix with 98octance gives you about 110octane, give or take a few). The fuel used in the heady days of turbo F1 cars contained a hell of a lot of it if i remember right.
Thats enough of my rambling.
WIDE out.