Dr Valerie O'Keeffe

Building on a background in applied health sciences (prosthetics and orthotics), Dr O’Keeffe has worked in diverse roles focused on human factors, ergonomics and workplace health and safety. Valerie's experience spans health and safety policy development and enforcement, management systems consultancy and auditing, research, ambulance and disability services, clinical and occupational rehabilitation, and training and education, where she has worked for SafeWork South Australia, SafeWork Australia and SAI Global Assurance Services. 

As a researcher, Valerie's current projects apply human factors, ergonomics and organisational psychology as vehicles to promote successful and sustainable technology adoption at work. Her aim is to improve individual and organisational performance through greater inclusivity, health and safety, and business capability.  Previous projects have examined worker performance in the service industries including the influence of job quality and design on worker, business and customer outcomes. Valerie has an interest in job design, particularly the management of psychosocial hazards and the prevention of psychological injury at work, also researching the regulation of and policy frameworks for managing psychosocial risks at work.

Valerie's teaching speciality is human factors and organisational safety in the future of work, with an emphasis on sociotechnical systems, behaviour and work health and safety.