Quick answer: Meat, Poultry and Seafood Process Workers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #162 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and physical environment.
Meat, Poultry and Seafood Process 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 demands15.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden61 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands59.4 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control43.1 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony60.8 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment42.3 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, poultry and seafood process workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, meat, poultry and seafood process workers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (43.1 vs 24.5 average), physical environment (42.3 vs 38.2 average) and pace and demands (59.4 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is pace determined by speed of equipment at 80/100 — against an all-occupation average of 23.1.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (15.5 vs 37.9) and precision and monotony (60.8 vs 67.7), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for meat, poultry and seafood process workers
- 1Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
80/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
- 2Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
73.2/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
- 3Physical environment
Physical Proximity
72.5/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
71/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
69.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
All 22 stress factors for meat, poultry and seafood process workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
15.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People2.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People26.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations17.8 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
61 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results60 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety73.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results44.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error63.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others63.8 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
59.4 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure49.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week71 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment80 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making46.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition50 vs 52.4
Lack of control
43.1 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions47 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work39.2 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
60.8 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks51.8 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate69.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
42.3 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable49.2 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting18.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures53.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections17.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity72.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for meat, poultry and seafood process 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:
- 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
Meat, Poultry and Seafood Process Workers: how stressful is the job?
Meat, Poultry and Seafood Process Workers rank #162 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 48.9% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for meat, poultry and seafood process workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are pace determined by speed of equipment (80/100), responsible for others' health and safety (73.2/100) and physical proximity (72.5/100). 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 meat, poultry and seafood process workers?
Meat, Poultry and Seafood Process Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (15.5 vs 37.9 average) and precision and monotony (60.8 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 meat, poultry and seafood process 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.