Covid-19 Guidelines on limited reopening of men’s sheds
This document provides advice and guidelines to support the safe reopening of your shed. It is not a list of do’s and don’ts and at all times we would ask that you follow government guidelines and public health advice. We recognise all sheds are different and come in different sizes with different groups of people. We hope this resource can support you and your shed to open in a safe and appropriate manner
COVID-19 is a new virus which is not yet fully understood by doctors or science. We only know a certain amount about how the virus works, how it spreads and its effects on people. These guidelines should not be seen as hard-and-fast medical guidance, because the IMSA does not have the expertise to give you that.
Until there is a vaccine or an effective treatment for COVID-19, there will always be an element of risk in opening your shed, no matter what guidelines, rules or regulations are put in place. It is absolutely vital that every single member of your shed, understands that risk and is able to make an informed decision. We appreciate that some of these guidelines may appear stricter than what has been recommended for other sectors of society. However, we have to be mindful of the fact that many shedders are at greater risk of serious illness than most of the population.
To put it bluntly, until a vaccine or treatment is found, gathering in a confined space with other people could potentially lead to you catching the virus, and while most people will recover, up to 20% will become severely ill, and some of those will unfortunately not survive. The risk of severe complications and death is greatest amongst men in their fifties and older, and amongst those with other chronic medical conditions or in bad health generally.
Guidelines have also been issued to your shed with the aim to help minimise and manage that
risk, but they cannot eliminate the risk altogether. These guidelines for you as a shedder are based on public health advice on minimising the risk of infection within indoor environments.
The more fully you can comply with this advice, the lower the risk (although it will never be eliminated completely).