Quick answer: Toolmakers and Engineering Patternmakers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #216 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Toolmakers and Engineering Patternmakers 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 demands21.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden60.4 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands65 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control10.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony70.9 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment38.6 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for toolmakers and engineering patternmakers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, toolmakers and engineering patternmakers score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (65 vs 56 average), precision and monotony (70.9 vs 67.7 average) and responsibility burden (60.4 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 95/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (21.2 vs 37.9) and lack of control (10.2 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 toolmakers and engineering patternmakers
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
95/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Pace and demands
Time Pressure
82.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 3Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
77.5/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 4Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
74.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 5Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
73/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
All 22 stress factors for toolmakers and engineering patternmakers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
21.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People2.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People28.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations32.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
60.4 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results55.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety54 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results70.8 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error71.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others49.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
65 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure82.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week73 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment56 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making74.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition39 vs 52.4
Lack of control
10.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions6 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work14.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
70.9 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks46.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate95 vs 78.6
Physical environment
38.6 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable77.5 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting45.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures28.5 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections0 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity41.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for toolmakers and engineering patternmakers 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
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
Toolmakers and Engineering Patternmakers: how stressful is the job?
Toolmakers and Engineering Patternmakers rank #216 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 31.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for toolmakers and engineering patternmakers?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (95/100), time pressure (82.2/100) and sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (77.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for toolmakers and engineering patternmakers?
Toolmakers and Engineering Patternmakers score below the national average for emotional demands (21.2 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (10.2 vs 24.5 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 toolmakers and engineering patternmakers. 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.