• The Environment Agency has teamed up with research company HR Wallingford to develop a British Standards Institution-approved Kitemark scheme for flood protection products. The Environment Agency said it believed this was the first quality standard in the world for flood protection. The first products to win Kitemark approval are Floodguard and Floodgate, both flood boards, and Pallet Barrier.

  • Special needs products manufacturer Neaco has struck a distribution deal with distributors Mobility World and Go Independent. Mobility World, which is based in Harrow, will distribute Neaco's special needs baths in southern England and Go Independent will distribute in northern England and Scotland.

  • Research organisation TRADA Technology has been awarded £70,000 by the DTI's Partners in Innovation scheme to evaluate the effectiveness of stain-blocking primers for joinery. TRADA said the research was being carried out because the staining of light coloured paints was an increasing problem, particularly with water-based paints, which were popular. TRADA also said commercial stain-blocking products were at best variable, and at worst ineffective.

  • The Association for Specialist Fire Protection has booted out six of its members after they failed to win third-party accreditation for their services. Last year, the association passed a resolution requiring all members to belong to a third-party accreditation scheme within nine months.

  • Research group BRE has teamed up with BIW Technologies to offer BIW Technologies project collaboration services to BRE clients. BRE said much of its work involved the exchange of complex information, and that data captured on its investigative consultancy projects using collaboration technology could be helpful to clients' future projects.

  • The Forest Stewardship Council has awarded independent builders merchant Ecomerchant its chain of custody certification. Ecomerchant is the first independent merchant in the UK to be awarded the certificate. The Kent-based merchant will deliver around the UK, and plans to extend its FSC-certified range.