Quick answer: Timber and Wood Process Workers are moderately stress-exposed compared with other Australian occupations — ranked #138 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 48.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are lack of control and pace and demands.
Timber and Wood 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 demands28.2 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden51.7 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands59.6 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control48.6 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony64.6 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment36.2 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for timber and wood process workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, timber and wood process workers score furthest above the norm on lack of control (48.6 vs 24.5 average) and pace and demands (59.6 vs 56 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable at 79/100 — against an all-occupation average of 52.3.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (28.2 vs 37.9), responsibility burden (51.7 vs 60) and precision and monotony (64.6 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 timber and wood process workers
- 1Physical environment
Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
79/100
All-occupation average: 52.3
- 2Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
77.8/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
- 3Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
74.8/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 4Pace and demands
Duration of Typical Work Week
68/100
All-occupation average: 62.1
- 5Pace and demands
Time Pressure
67.8/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
All 22 stress factors for timber and wood 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
28.2 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People8.2 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People37.8 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations38.5 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
51.7 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results55 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety60 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results38.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error49.8 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others55.2 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
59.6 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure67.8 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week68 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment77.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making41.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition43 vs 52.4
Lack of control
48.6 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions50.5 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work46.8 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
64.6 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks54.5 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate74.8 vs 78.6
Physical environment
36.2 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable79 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting13.8 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures40 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections2 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity46.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for timber and wood 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.
- 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.
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
Timber and Wood Process Workers: how stressful is the job?
Timber and Wood Process Workers rank #138 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 48.2/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 56.5% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for timber and wood process workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are sounds and noise levels are distracting or uncomfortable (79/100), pace determined by speed of equipment (77.8/100) and importance of being exact or accurate (74.8/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in pace and demands and lack of control.
Which stress factors are lower for timber and wood process workers?
Timber and Wood Process Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (28.2 vs 37.9 average) and responsibility burden (51.7 vs 60 average) and precision and monotony (64.6 vs 67.7 average) and physical environment (36.2 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 timber and wood 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.