Quick answer: Deck and Fishing Hands are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #235 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 43.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and pace and demands.
Deck and Fishing Hands 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 demands37.9 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden50 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands57.8 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control13.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony49.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment54.8 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for deck and fishing hands
Compared with the average Australian occupation, deck and fishing hands score furthest above the norm on physical environment (54.8 vs 38.2 average) and pace and demands (57.8 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is duration of typical work week at 86/100 — against an all-occupation average of 62.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (49.5 vs 67.7), lack of control (13.1 vs 24.5) and responsibility burden (50 vs 60), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for deck and fishing hands
- 1Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
86/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 2Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
73/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 3Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
62/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 4Pace and demands
Level of Competition
59.5/100
All-occupation average: 52.4
- 5Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
58.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
All 22 stress factors for deck and fishing hands
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
37.9 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People21.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People46.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations45.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
50 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results45 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety51.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results58.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error56.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others38.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
57.8 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure49 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week86 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment32.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making62 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition59.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
13.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions7 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work19.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
49.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks48 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate51 vs 78.6
Physical environment
54.8 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable56.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting56 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures73 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections44.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity43.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for deck and fishing hands 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.
- 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
Deck and Fishing Hands: how stressful is the job?
Deck and Fishing Hands rank #235 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 43.8/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 25.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for deck and fishing hands?
The highest-scoring hazards are duration of typical work week (86/100), very hot or cold temperatures (73/100) and frequency of decision making (62/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in pace and demands and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for deck and fishing hands?
Deck and Fishing Hands score below the national average for responsibility burden (50 vs 60 average) and lack of control (13.1 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (49.5 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 deck and fishing hands. 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.