Quick answer: Manufacturers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #71 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 51.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and pace and demands.
Manufacturers 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 demands38.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden77.2 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands71.5 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control13.4 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony70.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment40.6 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for manufacturers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, manufacturers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (77.2 vs 60 average), pace and demands (71.5 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (70.4 vs 67.7 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is responsible for others' health and safety at 88.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 57.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for lack of control (13.4 vs 24.5), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for manufacturers
- 1Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
88.5/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
87/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
86.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
86/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 5Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
85/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
All 22 stress factors for manufacturers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
38.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People11 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People50 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations54.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
77.2 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results87 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety88.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results81.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error50.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others78.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
71.5 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure80 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week85 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment55.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making86 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition51 vs 52.4
Lack of control
13.4 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions15.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work11.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
70.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks54 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate86.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
40.6 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable69 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting30.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures42.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections5.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity56 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for manufacturers map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Exposure to Violence →Whether workers face the risk of physical or verbal aggression at work.
- Exposure to Trauma →Whether workers encounter traumatic events or material as part of their role.
- Work Interaction →The quality of relationships and interactions within the team and organisation.
- 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.
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
Manufacturers: how stressful is the job?
Manufacturers rank #71 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 51.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 77.6% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for manufacturers?
The highest-scoring hazards are responsible for others' health and safety (88.5/100), responsibility for outcomes and results (87/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (86.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for manufacturers?
Manufacturers score below the national average for lack of control (13.4 vs 24.5 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 manufacturers. 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.