Month in numbers

38

The percentage of managers in construction firms who admitted to a sense of humour failure brought on by stress. The Chartered Management Institute and Workplace Connect surveyed 195 managers from the sector as part of a larger survey and report called the Quality of Working Life.

It paints quite a grim picture of occupational health for managers in construction firms. As well as loss of humour, 41% said they got angry with other people.

They are also suffering physically, with 56% complaining of aches and pains and 39% having frequent headaches.

Workplace Health Connect is a free HSE-supported service for businesses employing less than 250 workers, offering advice and support on health and safety issues. Call 0845 6096006.

40

Number of other industries which new construction minister Margaret Hodge must oversee in addition to construction. She replaced Alun Michael as minister for industry and the regions when Tony Blair reshuffled his cabinet following Labour's poor showing in the local elections in April. Industry figures expressed surprise and disappointment since Michael only took the post last year

Hodge, 57, is Labour MP for Barking and was minister of state at the Department for Work and Pensions.

The reshuffle also saw John Prescott ousted from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), which is now known as the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Ruth Kelly, who was education secretary, is now at the helm. ODPM also lost David Miliband, who was communities minister, to Defra.

33m

The turnover of roofing specialist Coverite, which went bust at the end of April. The firm had won a contract on the £1.5bn White City project in London where Multiplex is the main contractor. It also had framework contracts with Mace, Bovis, Lend Lease and Skanska.

Rivals said that the firm had tried to grow too quickly and that it had started providing more than just roofing, for example cladding, in response to market demand. Roofing contractors have also been affected by soaring metal prices. In March the Office of Fair Trading fined Coverite along with 12 other roofing firms for operating a cartel.

Experian reported that UK company failures in the first quarter of this year were up by 15.3%, the highest quarterly increase since 1999, with building and construction business failures up by 17%.

45m

The cost in pounds of Bath Spa, which was due to finally open last month. Bath and North East Somerset Council had planned for a £13m project to be completed by the end of 1999.

But there was a problem with the paint. It peeled. Was it architect Grimshaw's fault or contractor Mowlem's (now part of Carillion)? The council is working out its best course of legal action.

In April 2005 BANES sent Mowlem packing and employed Capita Symonds to sort out the mess. Pool surround floors had to come up, the screed had to be taken up through the building and underfloor heating and pipework removed. Capita had hoped to get the Spa open in April 2006.

Read CM's interview with BANES major project director John Betty (June 2005) by searching the CM archive at www.construction-manager.co.uk

200m

The likely cost of the steelwork package at Wembley Stadium, according to Multiplex, which has been in court fighting steelwork contractor Cleveland Bridge. Each side is suing the other.

Multiplex says that delays in lifting the stadium's iconic arch contributed to the whole project running late, which will leave the contractor £200m out of pocket. The arch was due to go up by the end of 2003 but was not actually in place until June 2004.

Cleveland says that it was behind due to incomplete and late design information and that Multiplex had agreed on the additional sum of £32.66m for work carried out to February 2004 but later reneged on it. Cleveland's 2002 contract was for £60m.

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