Quick answer: Printing Assistants and Table Workers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #150 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 47.3/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and precision and monotony.
Printing Assistants and Table 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 demands22.4 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden60.5 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands58.7 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control39 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony73.9 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment29.4 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for printing assistants and table workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, printing assistants and table workers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (39 vs 24.5 average), precision and monotony (73.9 vs 67.7 average) and pace and demands (58.7 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is importance of being exact or accurate at 82.8/100 — against an all-occupation average of 78.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (22.4 vs 37.9) and physical environment (29.4 vs 38.2), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for printing assistants and table workers
- 1Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
82.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 2Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
73.8/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 3Pace and demands
Time Pressure
71.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 4Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
69/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 5Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
65/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
All 22 stress factors for printing assistants and table workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
22.4 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People4.5 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People30.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations32 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
60.5 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results60.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety63.8 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results69 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error52.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others57.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
58.7 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure71.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week50.5 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment64.2 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making65 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition42 vs 52.4
Lack of control
39 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions39.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work38.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
73.9 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks65 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate82.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
29.4 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable73.8 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting6 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures12 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections0 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity55.2 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for printing assistants and table 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.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
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
Printing Assistants and Table Workers: how stressful is the job?
Printing Assistants and Table Workers rank #150 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 47.3/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 52.7% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for printing assistants and table workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are importance of being exact or accurate (82.8/100), sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (73.8/100) and time pressure (71.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for printing assistants and table workers?
Printing Assistants and Table Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (22.4 vs 37.9 average) and physical environment (29.4 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 printing assistants and table 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.