Checkatrade urges homeowners: look out for the trades keeping your home running this heatwave

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As the Met Office issues a Red Extreme Heat Warning, with temperatures expected to climb to at least 39°C on Wednesday and Thursday, and June's all-time daily record forecast to be broken, Checkatrade is calling on homeowners to check on the tradespeople working in and around their homes. 

The danger isn't only outdoors. A loft can reach around 60°C on a day like this, and roofers, HVAC engineers, electricians, plumbers, roof and surfacing crews, builders and landscapers are all working through it - often in the hottest, most enclosed spaces in your house. 

Amber heat warnings run from Monday through to the end of Thursday across much of southern and central England and Wales, and the UK Health Security Agency has warned of health impacts for many, even beyond those normally most vulnerable to the heat. 

Checkatrade is asking homeowners to do three simple things:

• Offer cold water regularly, and check in on anyone working in a loft, on a roof or in direct sun - heat exhaustion can come on fast.

• Be flexible on hours. If a tradesperson wants to start early, finish later or shift the job to avoid the peak of the day, support them.

• Offer a break in the shade. A few minutes out of the heat protects their health and helps them do the job safely.

Emma Grant, Director of Trade Experience at Checkatrade, said:

“However used to the conditions they tell you they are, tradespeople are people with families to go home to, and they keep our homes and infrastructure running. We’re asking consumers to do three simple things to keep them safe in these extreme temperatures. Please look out for the people looking after your home this week.”