Quick answer: Engineering Production Workers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #51 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 52.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and lack of control.
Engineering Production 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 demands27.8 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden63.9 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands63.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control32.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony73.9 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment55.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for engineering production workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, engineering production workers score furthest above the norm on physical environment (55.4 vs 38.2 average), lack of control (32.9 vs 24.5 average) and pace and demands (63.6 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is very hot or cold temperatures at 95.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 32.4.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (27.8 vs 37.9), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for engineering production workers
- 1Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
95.5/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 2Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
88.5/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 3Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
85.2/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
81.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
77/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
All 22 stress factors for engineering production workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
27.8 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People2.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People44 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations36.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
63.9 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results64.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety75.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results76.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error68.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others34.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
63.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure59.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week81.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment85.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making59.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition32.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
32.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions28.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work37 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
73.9 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks70.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate77 vs 78.6
Physical environment
55.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable88.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting48.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures95.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity42.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for engineering production 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
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
Engineering Production Workers: how stressful is the job?
Engineering Production Workers rank #51 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 52.9/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 83.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for engineering production workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are very hot or cold temperatures (95.5/100), sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (88.5/100) and pace determined by speed of equipment (85.2/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for engineering production workers?
Engineering Production Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (27.8 vs 37.9 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 engineering production 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.