Quick answer: Building and Plumbing Labourers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #70 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 52/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and lack of control.
Building and Plumbing Labourers 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 demands35 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden62.2 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands58 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control43.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony54.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment59.1 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for building and plumbing labourers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, building and plumbing labourers score furthest above the norm on physical environment (59.1 vs 38.2 average), lack of control (43.2 vs 24.5 average) and responsibility burden (62.2 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is very hot or cold temperatures at 87/100 — against an all-occupation average of 32.4.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (54.5 vs 67.7) and emotional demands (35 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 building and plumbing labourers
- 1Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
87/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 2Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
78/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
77.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
71.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 5Responsibility burden
Consequence of Error
70/100
All-occupation average: 49
All 22 stress factors for building and plumbing labourers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
35 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People8.8 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People48.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations47.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
62.2 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results53 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety66.5 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results68.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error70 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others53 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
58 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure77.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week51 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment54.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making71.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition35 vs 52.4
Lack of control
43.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions41.2 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work45.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
54.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks41.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate67.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
59.1 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable78 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting64.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures87 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections1 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity64.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for building and plumbing labourers 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.
- 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
Building and Plumbing Labourers: how stressful is the job?
Building and Plumbing Labourers rank #70 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 52/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 77.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for building and plumbing labourers?
The highest-scoring hazards are very hot or cold temperatures (87/100), sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (78/100) and time pressure (77.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for building and plumbing labourers?
Building and Plumbing Labourers score below the national average for emotional demands (35 vs 37.9 average) and precision and monotony (54.5 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 building and plumbing labourers. 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.