Professional Framework for Biomedical Waste Engineering Management in Private Clinic Settings in South West Nigeria

Private clinics in South West Nigeria generate significant volumes of biomedical waste from diagnostic devices, single-use instruments, and monitoring equipment, but the engineering management of this waste stream in private clinic settings operates largely outside any structured professional framework or effective regulatory oversight. This study develops a professional biomedical waste engineering management framework for private clinic settings in South West Nigeria, grounded in a situational analysis of waste management practices at twenty private clinics in Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun states. The situational analysis combined facility waste audit visits, structured interviews with clinic managers and waste handlers, and review of available waste management documentation. Waste categories assessed include sharps and single-use device waste, chemical waste from diagnostic reagents and sterilants, electronic device waste including batteries and monitors, and infectious waste from patient contact materials. Situational analysis reveals that waste segregation practices were adequate for infectious and sharps waste at fourteen of twenty clinics, but completely absent for electronic and chemical device waste categories at all twenty clinics. Biomedical waste characterization data from the audit showed that device-derived chemical waste, primarily from expired reagents and fixer solutions, was the most poorly managed category. The developed framework specifies waste characterization requirements, segregation standard operating procedures, storage specifications, approved collection and disposal contractor criteria, and staff training requirements for each device-related waste category. A digital waste tracking tool compatible with smartphone entry is included. The framework was reviewed by Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency staff before finalization. Keywords: biomedical waste management, private clinics, South West Nigeria, waste engineering, professional framework.