A chemical reaction takes place whenever two separate chemicals interact and transform into different chemicals or substances. While some of these changes are harmless, or even necessary for life to continue (such as the reactions that occur in the human stomach), others can be dangerous to people or property. People in many professions work with all types of these reactions—from the harmless to the extremely hazardous.

Chemical Technician

A chemical technician is one of the most prominent professions that work with chemical reactions. A chemical technician is assigned to work with chemical engineers as the person who tests many of the formulae and theories that the engineers develop. These technicians' main jobs are to test products and materials through chemical reactions and operate a wide variety of laboratory equipment. These technicians also ensure that chemicals and laboratory components are packaged and put away properly.

Medical Technician

A medical technician—who often serves in a laboratory position, as well—works with chemical reactions on a day-to-day basis. These technicians perform tests to detect certain chemical substances, in blood, urine and other tissue samples, to determine if patients have been using drugs or have certain diseases. These technicians work with a variety of laboratory equipment and record all of their results in easy-to-decipher reports, so that their superiors can fully understand the results of the testing.

Janitorial Jobs

Most people do not usually think about it, but housekeepers and janitors deal with chemical reactions every day. Products used for all sorts of cleaning jobs require or produce chemical reactions, from drain cleaners used on home showers to wood-scrubbing chemicals that dig down into the grain to wipe out dirt. For their own safety, those who work in cleaning services need to know certain rules of chemistry; for example, they must not mix bleach with ammonia, because the mixture of these two chemicals will create chlorine gas.