Quick answer: Wood Machinists and Other Wood Trades Workers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #217 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44.3/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control.
Wood Machinists and Other Wood Trades 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 demands28.3 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden55.6 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands52.1 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control39.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony53.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment36.7 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for wood machinists and other wood trades workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, wood machinists and other wood trades workers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (39.5 vs 24.5 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 80.5/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (53.8 vs 67.7), emotional demands (28.3 vs 37.9) and responsibility burden (55.6 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 wood machinists and other wood trades workers
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
80.5/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
70.5/100
All-occupation average: 58.5
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
70.5/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
66.2/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
64.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for wood machinists and other wood trades workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
28.3 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People4.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People34.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations45.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
55.6 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results70.5 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety55.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results64.2 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error33.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others54.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
52.1 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure70.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week62.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment26.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making64.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition36.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
39.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions29.8 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work49.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
53.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks27 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate80.5 vs 78.6
Physical environment
36.7 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable66.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting27.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures33.2 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2.2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity54.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for wood machinists and other wood trades 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:
- Autonomy →The degree of control workers have over how they do their work.
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
Wood Machinists and Other Wood Trades Workers: how stressful is the job?
Wood Machinists and Other Wood Trades Workers rank #217 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44.3/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 31.5% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for wood machinists and other wood trades workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (80.5/100), responsibility for outcomes and results (70.5/100) and time pressure (70.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in lack of control.
Which stress factors are lower for wood machinists and other wood trades workers?
Wood Machinists and Other Wood Trades Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (28.3 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (55.6 vs 60 average) and pace and demands (52.1 vs 56 average) and precision and monotony (53.8 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (36.7 vs 38.2 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 wood machinists and other wood trades 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.