you're confusing different types of toxicity here
Yes, those solvents are unpleasant, but providing you use them with plenty of ventilation and keep skin exposure to a minimum then they won't cause a lot of long term damage. The problems come if you use them continuously, or in a closed / unventilated room, as I imagine the poor chap who was found did.
The chromium in the Alodine is of a totally different nature. Seriously toxic, and causes cancer. Not "may" cause. DOES cause it. You really don't want to touch that stuff. Since my initial reading last night I've found that the Alodine is also sold as a premixed solution for pickling. That would be a lot easier / safer to handle as liquids can be poured. But the suggestion on the Oz chemical guide that you polish the metal with the powder and a scrubber is totally insane.
That chromium, plus the toxic thiophenol from the tanks are guaranteed to give chronic medical problems
PS - one risk that may not have occurred to you
If you smoked while sploshing those chlorinated solvents around, you would have generated phosgene as the solvent passed through the flame. Did they taste any different? Phosgene is a funny thing - it smells different to different people. Or so say those who've smelt it and survived. The one time I got a whiff it smelt like burnt sugar