With new obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 and the High Court’s evolving approach to employer liability in Kozarov v Victoria and Elisha v Vision Australia Ltd, psychological and psychiatric risk has increased. Through a combination of regulatory insight, legal analysis and psychiatric expertise explore how psychosocial risk is identified and managed, the implications of employer duties, legal liability and how psychiatrists assess impairment plus the challenges of expert evidence in these complex claims.

Presenters

Glenn Worth, Barrister, Green’s List
Glenn is an experienced and skilled barrister in the areas of common law, insurance law, public liability law and personal injuries litigation. Since signing the Bar Roll in November 2010, Glenn has spent countless hours at all levels of the State Court hierarchy, appearing as Counsel in personal injuries matters at Common Law. Glenn specialises in appearing in Common Law damages trials, with a particular interest in negligence cases involving Plaintiffs psychologically injured in the course of their employment.

Dr Michael Epstein, Psychiatrist, Dr Michael Epstein Psychiatry
Dr Michael Epstein is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. He has had extensive clinical experience and was a psychiatrist at Fairlea women’s prison for six years. He was a member of the forensic leave panel at the Thomas Embling Hospital for 21 years and is currently a member of the Medical Panels. He was secretary of the RANZCP and has been a consultant to the West Australian government and the Commonwealth government on mental health issues. He had written three books including “Falling Apart-living with stress breakdown”, “The Savage club Mystery” and most recently “The Guide to Civil Psychiatric Assessment” (available on Amazon). He is a co-author of the GEPIC and has trained approximately 150 psychiatrists in Victoria and South Australia in its use.

Duncan Chisholm, Barrister, Lennon’s List
Duncan practices in the areas of occupational health and safety, environmental prosecutions, disciplinary proceedings, employment law and coronial inquests. Duncan regularly appears in appeals, jury trials, committals, contested hearings and pleas in occupational health and safety matters in Victoria and interstate. He also regularly appears in disciplinary proceedings and review hearings at the VCAT and VSC as well as conducting workplace investigations on behalf of employers and government departments. Duncan is recommended in Doyle’s Guide’s Leading Work Health and Safety Junior Counsel – Victoria (2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025). Before coming to the Bar, Duncan was a Senior Lawyer at the Victorian WorkCover Authority (WorkSafe) where he prosecuted safety offences. Before joining WorkSafe, Duncan was a Senior Solicitor in the Workplace Relations Branch of the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, where he provided advice on employment and safety law matters. In 2010, Duncan was an Associate to His Honour Judge Misso. Prior to that, Duncan completed his legal traineeship at Slater & Gordon Lawyers.