Insights from the Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset

This report introduces new experimental data about the nature of work undertaken in different occupations and explores the relative exposure of jobs to different types of hazards. 

Some of the insights from the report include:

  • 30% of occupations have weekly exposure to contaminants such as gases, dust, odours and pollutants, with around 2.7 million people employed in these jobs.
  • Workers in 5% of occupations have cramped workspaces or must put their body in awkward positions at least once per week.
  • Around 2.7 million people work in jobs involving exposure to distracting or uncomfortable noise levels on a weekly basis.
  • More than 130,000 people work in jobs which involve exposure to radiation at least once per week.
  • 79% of occupations show workers are under pressure to meet strict deadlines at least once a week. Some 9.8 million people work in these jobs – the majority of the Australian workforce.
  • Around 100,000 people work in occupations which involve dealing with physically aggressive people on a weekly basis.

Explore more insights from the Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset in our report, available in the resources below, or download the data to discover the types of hazards that workers may be exposed to in different jobs.

We welcome your feedback on this work. If you have comments on how we can improve the data, please contact evidence@swa.gov.au.