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At Mideco, our mission has always been to protect people from the dangers of industrial dust exposure. This year, we are proud to continue strengthening that mission through our partnership with The Tradie Health Institute—an initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation—in collaboration with The Common Good. Together, we are contributing to research, early detection, and improved care for workers across Australia’s trade, mining, construction and agricultural sectors.
The Tradie Health Institute was established to tackle the rising burden of occupational lung disease, with an initial focus on the early detection and treatment of silicosis. The initiative draws upon the expertise of The Prince Charles Hospital, home to one of Australia’s largest cardiothoracic units and recognised nationally as a leader in lung health. The Common Good provides the platform, research funding and coordination required to turn this vision into real-world progress.
For us, this partnership is deeply aligned. Every Bat Booth® and Bat Vent® we manufacture is designed to remove dust from workers before it settles into their lungs. Supporting research that protects the same workers completes this circle of prevention on site and care in the clinic.
A Message from The Common Good
This year, we were humbled to receive this message from Chloe Nguyen, Chief Communications and Philanthropy Officer at The Common Good, which captures the spirit of this partnership:
Dear Melton and the Mideco Team,
Thank you once again for your generous support throughout this year.
Below is an update on the impact of your contribution to the Tradie Health Institute initiative in 2025.
I want to acknowledge you, your team, and your customers for your continued commitment to advancing research into occupational lung disease. I also want to recognise the meaningful work Mideco is doing in dust elimination to improve worker health. Your leadership in this area is making a tangible difference.
Partnerships like this are essential to creating long-term, sustainable impact—work that will continue to benefit communities for many years to come. The Tradie Health Institute initiative is one of the many research and patient-care pillars supported by The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.
Warm Regards,
Chloe Nguyen
Chief Communications and Philanthropy Officer
This reflects that real progress comes from collaboration; where industry, research and community work together to protect people who keep Australia moving.
2025 Wholistic Impact: A Year in Review
While our contributions focus on occupational lung disease, it is inspiring to see the wider community benefit delivered through The Common Good and its supporters. Here are some of the key milestones achieved in 2025:
January
Opening of the Kid’s Retreat in the TPCH Paediatrics Ward, giving sick and injured children a safe, playful space to connect with their families.
June
A second Child Life Therapist joined The Prince Charles Hospital, and the first at Caboolture Hospital, helping children navigate treatment with less anxiety and faster care.
July
40 research grants valued at $2.4 million were awarded at TPCH, supporting life-changing and life-saving research across heart, lung, mental health, ageing, and allied health.
September
Final funding was secured to build a specialised village space in the dementia unit at Caboolture Hospital, with works beginning in early 2026.
October
The first of 1,500 Comfort Packs were delivered to vulnerable older patients who arrive at TPCH with no belongings. These packs offer dignity, warmth, and essential care at a time of need.
December
Completion of the Rehabilitation Pathway project, providing transplant and stroke patients with an outdoor therapy environment to rebuild confidence and independence.
These milestones remind us that health research doesn’t exist in isolation, it uplifts entire families, communities and generations.
Our Impact
Through our support of The Tradie Health Institute, we are contributing directly to the future of lung health for Australia’s essential workforce. This contribution forms part of a broader impact delivered by the Foundation, which in 2025 enabled:
- 44 research grants
- 72 researchers supported
- 41 pieces of new equipment purchased
- 8 patient care programs delivered
Across all research funded this year, 23% focused specifically on lung disease, reinforcing the urgency and importance of protecting the health of workers across the country.
Each Bat product purchased—every Bat Booth and Bat Vent operating across quarries, mines, ports, construction sites, and processing facilities—helps fuel this research. Our contribution continued occupational lung disease research focus and helped fund:
A Dedicated Research Position
This role continues building Australia’s capability in early lung disease detection particularly for silica-exposed workers, and enables continued progress toward developing cost-effective, portable screening tools.
Ongoing Loan and Operation of the PExA Machine
The funding supports the continued access and use of one of the most innovative diagnostic research tools in the world, the PExA (Particles in Exhaled Air) device. This tool has enormous potential to become a non-invasive, on-site, lung health screening method.
Together, this work strengthens the long-term mission we share of protecting workers and creating safer workplaces across Australia.
PExA (Particles in Exhaled Air) machine
Looking Ahead: Progress and Goals with PExA
The PExA (Particles in Exhaled Air) machine is one of the most exciting advancements in the early detection of lung disease. For the first time, this technology, originally developed in Sweden, is accessible in an Australian research lab through The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation and the Tradie Health Institute.
Unlike traditional methods, PExA allows clinicians to analyse microscopic particles from the distal airways without using routine but invasive procedures such as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). According to Dr Simon Apte, Chief Scientist at the Queensland Lung Transplant Service Research Centre:
“PExA is particularly powerful because it can capture particles from the distal airways without the need for invasive procedures… PExA also has the potential to replace BAL in selected patients, which would be of great clinical value…”
Over the coming year, researchers plan to:
- Conduct a world-first comparison between matched BAL samples and PExA samples to validate PExA as a viable, non-invasive alternative.
- Analyse PExA samples from silicosis patients and healthy individuals to explore if the technology could become a diagnostic tool for early-stage silicosis.
This work is complex but the potential outcomes are transformational. As Dr Rebekah Engel, Research Manager at The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, notes:
“Our ultimate goal is to support research that enables portable, on-site testing units—making early, accessible lung screening a reality for high-risk industries.”
This is exactly why Mideco supports this project. Early detection technology, alongside effective dust control system on site, represents the future of worker protection. Prevention and early intervention must work hand in hand.
Our Thanks to the Mideco Community
To our customers, partners, and the entire Mideco community—our heartfelt gratitude to you.
Your trust in us does more than protect your workforce today. It supports the life-changing research and compassionate care delivered by The Tradie Health Institute and The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.
Together, we are protecting the health of the people who build and sustain Australia, and helping advance the development of future lung-health solutions that will protect generations to come.
Thank you, on behalf of the researchers, clinicians, and patients benefiting from your support. Your commitment to dust control is creating real, measurable impact in Australia’s lung health landscape.