Quick answer: Forestry and Logging Workers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #154 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47.3/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and physical environment.
Forestry and Logging 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 demands36.3 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden71.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands53.3 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control17 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony58.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment47.1 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for forestry and logging workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, forestry and logging workers score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (71.5 vs 60 average) and physical environment (47.1 vs 38.2 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is responsibility for outcomes and results at 77.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 58.5.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (58.6 vs 67.7), lack of control (17 vs 24.5) and pace and demands (53.3 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 forestry and logging workers
- 1Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
77.8/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
77.8/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
77.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Responsibility burden
Coordinate or Lead Others
77/100
All-occupation average: 64.9
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
67.2/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for forestry and logging workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
36.3 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People11.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People44 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations53.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
71.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results77.8 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety77.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results77.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error47.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others77 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
53.3 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure62.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week59.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment20.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making67.2 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition56.8 vs 52.4
Lack of control
17 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions13.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work20.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
58.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks51 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate66.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
47.1 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable56.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting33.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures61.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections17.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity66.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for forestry and logging 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.
- 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
Forestry and Logging Workers: how stressful is the job?
Forestry and Logging Workers rank #154 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47.3/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 51.4% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for forestry and logging workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are responsibility for outcomes and results (77.8/100), responsible for others' health and safety (77.8/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (77.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for forestry and logging workers?
Forestry and Logging Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (36.3 vs 37.9 average) and pace and demands (53.3 vs 56 average) and lack of control (17 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (58.6 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 forestry and logging 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.