Quick answer: Meat Boners and Slicers, and Slaughterers are one of the most stress-exposed occupations in Australia — ranked #5 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 63.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and pace and demands.
Meat Boners and Slicers, and Slaughterers 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 demands51.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden63 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands80 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control56.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony75.4 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment54 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (56.5 vs 24.5 average), pace and demands (80 vs 56 average) and physical environment (54 vs 38.2 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is frequency of decision making at 91/100 — against an all-occupation average of 70.7.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers
- 1Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
91/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 2Pace and demands
Time Pressure
89.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
87.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Physical environment
Physical Proximity
84.5/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 5Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
81.8/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
All 22 stress factors for meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
51.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People28.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People75.2 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations50.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
63 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results67.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety49.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results61.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error65.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others71.5 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
80 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure89.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week78.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment80.5 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making91 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition60.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
56.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions60 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work53 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
75.4 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks63 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate87.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
54 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable42.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting36.2 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures81.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections24.8 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity84.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Exposure to Violence →Whether workers face the risk of physical or verbal aggression at work.
- Exposure to Trauma →Whether workers encounter traumatic events or material as part of their role.
- Work Interaction →The quality of relationships and interactions within the team and organisation.
- 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.
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
Meat Boners and Slicers, and Slaughterers: how stressful is the job?
Meat Boners and Slicers, and Slaughterers rank #5 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 63.4/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 98.4% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers?
The highest-scoring hazards are frequency of decision making (91/100), time pressure (89.8/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (87.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers?
Meat Boners and Slicers, and Slaughterers score at or above the national average across all six stress categories.
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 meat boners and slicers, and slaughterers. 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.