Quick answer: Other Construction and Mining Labourers are one of the most stress-exposed occupations in Australia — ranked #25 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 55.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and pace and demands.
Other Construction and Mining Labourers 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 demands35.9 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden75 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands73 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control23.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony63.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment65 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for other construction and mining labourers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, other construction and mining labourers score furthest above the norm on physical environment (65 vs 38.2 average), pace and demands (73 vs 56 average) and responsibility burden (75 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 96.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (63.4 vs 67.7), emotional demands (35.9 vs 37.9) and lack of control (23.1 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 other construction and mining labourers
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
96.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
94/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 3Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
84/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Physical environment
Physical Proximity
80/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
All 22 stress factors for other construction and mining labourers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
35.9 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People5.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People51.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations51 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
75 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results70.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety76.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results76.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error71 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others80.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
73 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure61.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week96.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment72.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making78.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition55.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
23.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions22 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work24.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
63.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks53.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate73.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
65 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable94 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting63.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures84 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections3.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity80 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for other construction and mining labourers 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.
- 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
Other Construction and Mining Labourers: how stressful is the job?
Other Construction and Mining Labourers rank #25 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 55.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 92.1% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for other construction and mining labourers?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (96.5/100), sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (94/100) and very hot or cold temperatures (84/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for other construction and mining labourers?
Other Construction and Mining Labourers score below the national average for emotional demands (35.9 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (23.1 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (63.4 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 other construction and mining labourers. 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.