Quick answer: Handypersons are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #122 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 49.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and responsibility burden.
Handypersons stress profile vs the national average
Each occupation is scored across six categories of workplace mental health hazard, built from 22 stress factors identified in SafeWork Australia's occupational hazards data. Higher scores mean greater exposure.
- Emotional demands28.4 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden67.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands52.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control30.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony62.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment57.8 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for handypersons
Compared with the average Australian occupation, handypersons score furthest above the norm on physical environment (57.8 vs 38.2 average), responsibility burden (67.5 vs 60 average) and lack of control (30.2 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable at 79/100 — against an all-occupation average of 52.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (28.4 vs 37.9), precision and monotony (62.6 vs 67.7) and pace and demands (52.6 vs 56), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for handypersons
- 1Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
79/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 2Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
76.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 3Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
74/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 4Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
72.5/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 5Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
72.2/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
All 22 stress factors for handypersons
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
28.4 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People6.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People40.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations38.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
67.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results63.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety72.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results76.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error66 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others58.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
52.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure61 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week60.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment34 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making74 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition33.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
30.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions28.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work31.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
62.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks53 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate72.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
57.8 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable79 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting60.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures71.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections14 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity64 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for handypersons map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Work Demands →The volume, pace, and complexity of what is asked of workers.
- Role Clarity →Whether workers clearly understand what is expected of them.
- Leadership →The quality and consistency of management behaviour at all levels.
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
- Physical Environment →How the physical conditions of work affect psychological wellbeing.
Methodology
Clearhead scored 317 occupations in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) using SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. We kept only the 22 hazard variables relating to mental health — such as conflict exposure, decision-making pressure, and time pressure — and deliberately excluded physical safety risks like working at height.
The 22 variables are grouped into six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment. An occupation's composite score is the equally weighted average of its six category scores. All scores run 0–100, where higher means more stress-inducing.
Two control-related variables are reported by SafeWork with inverted polarity (“freedom to make decisions” and “structured versus unstructured work”). We reverse these and present them as lack of autonomy to make decisions and amount of highly structured work, so that a higher score consistently indicates greater stress exposure.
Hazard exposure describes the average conditions of an occupation, not any individual's experience — everyone has a different tolerance for these challenges, and conditions vary between workplaces.
Frequently asked questions
Handypersons: how stressful is the job?
Handypersons rank #122 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 49.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 61.5% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for handypersons?
The highest-scoring hazards are sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (79/100), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (76.5/100) and frequency of decision making (74/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for handypersons?
Handypersons score below the national average for emotional demands (28.4 vs 37.9 average) and pace and demands (52.6 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (62.6 vs 67.7 average), which partially offsets the higher-scoring hazards.
Where does this data come from?
Scores are derived from SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. Clearhead filtered the dataset to the 22 mental-health-related hazard variables — excluding physical safety risks — and scored 317 ANZSCO occupations across six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment.
Beyond the average
This is the average hazard exposure for handypersons. Your workforce isn't average.
Clearhead's Psychosocial Risk Pulse measures the actual psychosocial risk in your organisation, quarterly — across 18 ISO 45003-aligned work factors.