Quick answer: Metal Engineering Process Workers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #65 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 52.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and lack of control.
Metal Engineering Process Workers 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 demands17.6 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden61.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands62 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control49 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony59.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment63.5 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for metal engineering process workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, metal engineering process workers score furthest above the norm on physical environment (63.5 vs 38.2 average), lack of control (49 vs 24.5 average) and pace and demands (62 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable at 99.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 52.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (17.6 vs 37.9) and precision and monotony (59.5 vs 67.7), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for metal engineering process workers
- 1Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
99.8/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 2Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
99.5/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
79.5/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 5Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
76/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
All 22 stress factors for metal engineering process workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
17.6 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People1.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People33.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations17.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
61.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results61.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety79.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results62.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error57.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others46.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
62 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure80.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week76 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment52.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making63 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition38 vs 52.4
Lack of control
49 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions44 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work54 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
59.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks49.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate69.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
63.5 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable99.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting54 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures99.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections7.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity57 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for metal engineering process workers 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.
- Schedule and Hours →The arrangement of working time and its effect on health and recovery.
- 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
Metal Engineering Process Workers: how stressful is the job?
Metal Engineering Process Workers rank #65 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 52.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 79.5% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for metal engineering process workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (99.8/100), very hot or cold temperatures (99.5/100) and time pressure (80.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for metal engineering process workers?
Metal Engineering Process Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (17.6 vs 37.9 average) and precision and monotony (59.5 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 metal engineering process workers. 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.