Month in numbers

6

The number of storeys of this timber-framed building which went up in flames on a north London housing development in July. The concrete and masonry lobby are taking every opportunity to gloat, of course, hailing it as a victory in the ongoing concrete vs steel battle.

Firefighters took five hours to put out the blaze, which destroyed all 200 units which Berkeley Group firm St George was building in Hendon.

Following the fire Martin Clarke, chairman of the Modern Masonry Alliance, called on the government to ban multi-storey timber buildings. He even managed to bring the Olympics into it: "A new worry is that we are proposing to house some of the world's greatest athletes in the Olympic Village, which could well be timber frame," he told Construction News.

33

The percentage by which tender prices are expected to increase in the next five years, outstripping inflation rates two-and-a-half times over. That's according to RICS anyway, which recently published its BCIS Five-Year Forecast.

The report says the commercial and infrastructure sectors will fuel the growth. New work output is expected to really take off next year, rising well above long-term annual trends rates. However the forecast is based on the assumption that they'll be a speedy release of public funds.

In the shorter term, EC Harris's summer Economics Survey predicts that tender prices will rise nationally by 3.5% over the next year (to the second quarter of 2007) and by 3.7% in the following 12 months. In London the rises will be 5.3% and 5.5% respectively.

43

The percentage of construction and engineering firms that have suffered from fraud, according to a survey of 168 companies by PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC) in its Global Economic Crime Survey 2005. This has risen from 33% in 2003, when the consultants last did the survey.

Asset misappropriation - such as theft or substitution of inferior materials - remains the most commonly reported crime with 57% of firms suffering. Financial misrepresentations, such as firms lying about the health of their balance sheet - showed the greatest growth, tripling since 2003 to 21%. Other crimes reported were counterfeiting (19%), corruption and bribery (33%).

Who's doing all this dirty work? Insiders were responsible for 53% of frauds with 20% coming from the top level of managers and 40% from middle management.

59

The number of fatalities in construction for the year 2005/06 - a 14% reduction on the previous year. The Health and Safety Commission published the figures last month and highlighted the fact that they are the lowest ever recorded. Good news, of course, but as UCATT said in response, it still amounts to more than one death every week of the year and remains unacceptable.

The report showed that after falling from height, the most common kinds of fatal injury are being struck by a moving or falling object, being struck by a vehicle, being trapped by something collapsing or overturning, and contact with electricity.

However the figures were encouraging enough for the HSC to praise the industry's various parties for working closely together in reducing fatalities.

91

The percentage of householders who were satisfied with the work of tradespeople, having recently had jobs done on their homes. 55% said they were "extremely satisfied". The CIOB-commissioned poll from YouGov, although entitled The Cowboy Builder: A Public Perception, demonstrated that cowboy builders are more of a rare breed than perhaps we think.

The public is not as dumb as some would like to portray with 54% using tradesmen they had employed before or who were recommended. Although 13% selected on price, 55% did not compare quotes which reflects the fact they were using workers already known to them.

As for the 23% who needed extra or remedial work, 74% of those said it was carried out by the same builder, and 75% didn't have to shell out any more cash.