Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Irena Kudla HBSc, MHSc

Research Interests

Occupational disease with an emphasis on occupational skin disease and work-related allergy/asthma.

Focus on occupational exposure assessment methodology including development of standardized data collection instruments for use in epidemiological and intervention studies.

Education & Training History

1985 HBSc Human Biology & Microbiology, University of Toronto

1987 MHSc Occupational & Environmental Health, University of Toronto

1995 CIH Diplomate of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

Project Lead for CHL 5904F – Perspectives in Occupational Health & Safety

Lecturer in CHL 5911F – Industrial Hygiene II (Skin Exposure Assessment)

Practicuum supervisor

Professional Summary & Appointments

2002 – present: Prevention Specialist, Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, Occupational Disease Specialty Program, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto

1990 – 2002: Occupational Hygienist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc., Toronto; technical consultant to occupational medicine physicians and occupational health nurses, Joint Health & Safety Committees, employers and unions in assessing the work-relatedness of a worker’s health condition by developing exposure profiles

1989 – 1990: Occupational Hygiene Consultant, RPR Consultants, Mississauga; extensive field experience in conducting occupational health and safety audits, air monitoring, ventilation assessments, indoor air quality assessments; development of occupational health & safety training modules

1987 – 1989: Occupational Hygiene Consultant, Goodfellow Consultants, Mississauga; extensive field experience in hazard assessment and monitoring for silica, formaldehyde, isocyanates, lead, organic solvents in a number of industries (pesticide formulation, government institutions, transit, manufacturing, etc.)

Current Research Projects

2012 – 2013: Nichol K, Holness DL, Kudla I, Robson L, Hon CY. The Development & Testing of a Tool to Assess Joint Health & Safety Committee Functioning & Effectiveness. Ministry of Labour Bridging The Gap Program

2012 – 2013: Holness DL, Kudla I, Kiran K, Tchernikov I, Brown J. Raising occupational skin disease awareness through the use of posters. Ministry of Labour Bridging The Gap Program

Representative Publications

1. Kudla I. Case Studies: Exposure to Benzene-Contaminated Toluene & Bone Marrow Disorders – A Retrospective Exposure Assessment. Appl Occ & Env Hyg J 1997;12(1).

2. Bogoch II, House RA, Kudla I. Perceptions About Hearing Protection & Noise-Induced Hearing Loss of Attendees of Rock Concerts. Can J of Pub Health, January-February 2005.

3. Holness DL, Kudla I, Manno M, Dilworth L, Lee A. Workers with occupational contact dermatitis: workplace characteristics and prevention activities, submitted.

4. Feng C, Switzer-McIntyre S, Sidiropoulos M, Kudla I, Holness DL. Identifying return to work barriers and facilitators for workers with occupational contact dermatitis, submitted.

5. Sidiropoulos M, Kudla I, Feng C, Switzer-McIntyre S, Holness DL. Prevention of occupational contact dermatitis: what is really happening in the workplace?, in preparation.

6. Donovan J. Kudla I, Holness DL. Analysis of hand dermatitis in the auto mechanic and machinist. Dermatitis 2007;18:143-149.

7. Donovan J. Kudla I, DeKoven J. Rapid development of allergic contact dermatitis to dicyclohexylmethane-4,4-diisocyanate. Dermatitis; vol. 20, no. 4, July/August 2009.

8. Nichol K, Kudla I, Manno M, McCaskell L, Sikorski J, Holness DL. Form & Function of Joint Health & Safety Committees in Ontario Acute Care Hospitals. Healthcare Quarterly vol. 12, no. 2. 2009

9. Noiles K, Kudla I, DeKoven J. Propylene Glycol Dermatitis in the Printing Industry: The Fundamental Role of a Workplace Visit, vol. 21, no. 1 (January/February), 2010, pp E1-E4.

10. Fukakusa J, Rosenblat J, Jang B, Ribeiro M, Kudla I, Tarlo S. Compliance with respirator use at work – factors among respiratory patients. October 2011, Occupational Medicine.

11. Rowley K, Ajami D, Gervais D, Mooney A, Solheim A, Kudla I, Holness DL, Switzer-McIntyre S. Glove Use & Education in Workers with Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome. Canadian Acoutistics/Acoustique canadienne, vol. 29, no. 2(2011).

12. Kim J, Arrandale V, Kudla I, Mardell K, Lougheed D, Holness L. Educational Intervention among Farmers in a Community Health Setting. Occupational Medicine 2012; 62:458-61.

13. Holness DL, Kudla I. Short Report: Workers with Occupational Dermatitis: Workplace Characteristics & Prevention Practices. Occupational Medicine, doi:10.1093/occmed/kqs115, July 2012.

14. Stefaniak A, du Plessis J, John S, Eloff F, Agner T, Tzu-Chieh C, Nixon R, Steiner M, Holness L, Kudla I. Guidelines for the In Vitro Assessment of Skin Properties in Workplace Settings. Part I: pH. Skin Research & Technology 2012; 0:1-10, doi: 10.1111/srt.12016.

15. Stefaniak A, du Plessis J, John S, Eloff F, Agner T, Tzu-Chieh C, Nixon R, Steiner M, Holness L, Kudla I. Guidelines for the In Vitro Assessment of Skin Properties in Workplace Settings. Part 2: Transepidermal Water Loss & Skin Hydrate. Skin Research & Technology (SRT-0095-12.R1), 2012.

16. Arrandale V, Kudla I, Kraut A, Scott J, Tarlo S, Redlich C, Holness DL. Skin & Respiratory Symptoms Among Workers with Suspected Work-Related Disease. Occupational Medicine 2012, 62:420-426.

17. Arrandale V, Kudla I, Scott J, Redlich C, Holness L. Test-Retest Reliability of a Workplace Characteristics Questionnaire. Occupational Medicine (submitted).

18. Killhorn K, Lougheed D, Holness L, To T, Tarlo S, Lemieux C, Kudla I. The Development & Reliability of a Work-Related Asthma Screening Questionnaire. Primary Care Respiratory Journal (submitted August 8, 2013.