Safer? CC4 decomposes into phosgene at high (about 250 Celcius) temperature, which is why using it in fire extinguishers was a bad idea but TCE does that when simply exposed to light, at room temperature. And if those LD/LC numbers that I'm looking at are correct, TCE is actually slightly more toxic.
Carbon tetrachloride is used in research to reliably create liver damage. It's very toxic.
"Carbon tetrachloride is one of the most potent hepatotoxins (toxic to the liver), so much so that it is widely used in scientific research to evaluate hepatoprotective agents."
