Quick answer: Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #156 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are responsibility burden and physical environment.
Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals 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 demands32.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden74.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands56.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control19.9 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony56.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment43.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for occupational and environmental health professionals
Compared with the average Australian occupation, occupational and environmental health professionals score furthest above the norm on responsibility burden (74.5 vs 60 average), physical environment (43.4 vs 38.2 average) and pace and demands (56.6 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is responsible for others' health and safety at 96.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 57.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (56.4 vs 67.7), emotional demands (32.5 vs 37.9) and lack of control (19.9 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 occupational and environmental health professionals
- 1Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
96.5/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 2Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
83/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
79.5/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
77.5/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
72.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for occupational and environmental health professionals
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
32.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People10.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People39.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations47.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
74.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results59 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety96.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results83 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error66 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others68.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
56.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure61.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week77.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment21.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making72.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition50 vs 52.4
Lack of control
19.9 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions18.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work21.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
56.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks33.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate79.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
43.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable56.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting36.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures41 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections18.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity64.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for occupational and environmental health professionals 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
Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals: how stressful is the job?
Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals rank #156 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 50.8% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for occupational and environmental health professionals?
The highest-scoring hazards are responsible for others' health and safety (96.5/100), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (83/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (79.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for occupational and environmental health professionals?
Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals score below the national average for emotional demands (32.5 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (19.9 vs 24.5 average) and precision and monotony (56.4 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 occupational and environmental health professionals. 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.