Quick answer: Paving and Surfacing Labourers are notably more stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #40 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 54/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are physical environment and lack of control.
Paving and Surfacing 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 demands42.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden63.3 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands61.9 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control34.5 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony55.5 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment66.8 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for paving and surfacing labourers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, paving and surfacing labourers score furthest above the norm on physical environment (66.8 vs 38.2 average), lack of control (34.5 vs 24.5 average) and pace and demands (61.9 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable at 80.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 52.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for precision and monotony (55.5 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 paving and surfacing labourers
- 1Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
80.8/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 2Physical environment
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
78.8/100
All-occupation average: 32.4
- 3Physical environment
Physical Proximity
73.8/100
All-occupation average: 61.1
- 4Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
70/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
- 5Responsibility burden
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
67.2/100
All-occupation average: 57.3
All 22 stress factors for paving and surfacing labourers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
42.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People29 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People51.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations46.2 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
63.3 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results66.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety67.2 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results65.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error66.5 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others51 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
61.9 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure61.5 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week65 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment70 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making55.5 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition57.2 vs 52.4
Lack of control
34.5 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions39 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work30 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
55.5 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks49 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate62 vs 78.6
Physical environment
66.8 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable80.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting63.5 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures78.8 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections37.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity73.8 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for paving and surfacing 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:
- 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
Paving and Surfacing Labourers: how stressful is the job?
Paving and Surfacing Labourers rank #40 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 54/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 87.4% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for paving and surfacing labourers?
The highest-scoring hazards are sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (80.8/100), very hot or cold temperatures (78.8/100) and physical proximity (73.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control and physical environment.
Which stress factors are lower for paving and surfacing labourers?
Paving and Surfacing Labourers score below the national average for precision and monotony (55.5 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 paving and surfacing 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.