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Sable Homes resumes home construction process with COVID-19 safety precautions

On Friday, May 1, 2020, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order allowing construction and real estate businesses, along with other outdoor jobs, to resume on May 7.

As Michigan’s stay-home order extends into its seventh week, Sable Homes looks forward to getting back to work and resume home construction projects that have been put on hold since the order took effect on March 23. The order was put in place in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus and COVID-19.

“We are eager to get back to work for our customers whose homes we had to stop due to the stay-home order,” Sable Homes President John Bitely said. “Our contractors were waiting for the governor’s direction to get back to work, and now, they are ready to get back on the job on Thursday, May 7.”

Whitmer’s latest order to allow certain businesses resume is part of a phased plan to reengage the Michigan economy, while also requiring businesses to step up and ensure the safety of their workers.

“As a residential construction company and real estate firm in a COVID-19 world, we are committed to the safety and health of our employees, contractors and clients,” Bitely said. “We appreciate your patience as we’ve worked with federal and state officials and the Home Builders Association of West Michigan to ensure proper safety measures and protocols are being followed. We are grateful to get back to work and build homes for the residents of West Michigan.”

In the construction industry, Sable Homes and other related businesses will be required to follow federal and state guidelines on maintaining a safe work zone, including:

  • Designating a site supervisor to enforce COVID-19 control strategies
  • Conducting daily health screenings for workers
  • Creating dedicated entry points, if possible, or issuing stickers or other indicators to assure that all workers are screened every day
  • Identifying choke points and high-risk areas (like hallways, hoists and elevators, break areas, water stations, and buses) and controlling them to enable social distancing
  • Ensuring sufficient hand washing or hand sanitizing stations at the worksite.

Additionally, Sable Homes has developed a COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan that will be implemented at its Rockford office and all of its construction job sites. This plan is based on current available information from the CDC and OSHA, and may be amended based on operational needs and additional federal, state and local information.

Sable Homes’ back-to-work safety plan outlines details prevention efforts and best practices that employees and contractors must follow to minimize the spread of COVID-19, including:

  • Social distancing where possible
  • Frequent proper hand washing/hand sanitizing when water and soap are not available
  • Avoid touching face with unwashed hands
  • Appropriate respiratory etiquette
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • Wear personal protective equipment (gloves, cloth masks, eye protection)
  • Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of tools/equipment and work environment surfaces

On the real estate side, in order to protect employees and customers, Sable Homes’ Rockford office remains closed to the public, and there will not be any open houses at this time. Appointments for property showings may be made through Sable Homes’ new home consultant agents. Showings are limited to four people who are strongly encouraged to wear a mask.

“We have quite a few sold homes in the construction progress right now and are working with our crews to schedule getting these homes finished,” said Karin Kay, Sable Homes’ sales manager. “For safety reasons, our crews cannot be at all of the job sites at once. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we move forward and finish up these jobs for our new home owners.”

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