Quick answer: Textile and Footwear Production Machine Operators are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #145 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and physical environment.
Textile and Footwear Production Machine Operators 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 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden41.4 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands52.9 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control57.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony60.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment39.2 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for textile and footwear production machine operators
Compared with the average Australian occupation, textile and footwear production machine operators score furthest above the norm on lack of control (57.9 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (39.2 vs 38.2 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable at 84.2/100 — against an all-occupation average of 52.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for responsibility burden (41.4 vs 60), precision and monotony (60.4 vs 67.7) and pace and demands (52.9 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 textile and footwear production machine operators
- 1Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
84.2/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 2Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
82.2/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
66/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
61.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Lack of control
Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions
60/100
All-occupation average: 23.6
All 22 stress factors for textile and footwear production machine operators
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
35 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People15.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People47.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations42 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
41.4 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results45.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety47.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results36.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error40 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others37.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
52.9 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure49 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week61.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment82.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making39 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition32.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
57.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions60 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work55.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
60.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks54.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate66 vs 78.6
Physical environment
39.2 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable84.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting43.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures20.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections4.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity44.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for textile and footwear production machine operators map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- 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
Textile and Footwear Production Machine Operators: how stressful is the job?
Textile and Footwear Production Machine Operators rank #145 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 54.3% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for textile and footwear production machine operators?
The highest-scoring hazards are sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (84.2/100), pace determined by speed of equipment (82.2/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (66/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for textile and footwear production machine operators?
Textile and Footwear Production Machine Operators score below the national average for emotional demands (35 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (41.4 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (52.9 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (60.4 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 textile and footwear production machine operators. 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.