Occupational Health and Safety in Forensic Pathology Departments: An Assessment of Federal Teaching Hospitals in South West Nigeria

Forensic pathology professionals are routinely exposed to biological hazards, chemical reagents, and psychologically distressing work environments, necessitating robust occupational health and safety management systems. This study assesses occupational health and safety conditions in forensic pathology departments of three federal teaching hospitals in the South West geopolitical zone between 2021 and 2024. A descriptive institutional audit design was used, involving structured interviews with twenty-two pathologists, mortuary attendants, and laboratory technicians, as well as environmental safety inspections of autopsy suites and body storage facilities. The study evaluates compliance with biosafety standards, availability of personal protective equipment, formalin exposure controls, and psychological support provisions for staff performing high-distress post-mortem work. Findings reveal widespread non-compliance with minimum biosafety standards: formalin exposure levels exceeded occupational exposure limits in two of the three facilities, and only forty percent of staff consistently used the full complement of recommended protective equipment. Psychological support services were entirely absent in all three departments. The study recommends mandatory biosafety audits for all Nigerian forensic pathology units, the procurement of local exhaust ventilation systems for autopsy suites, and the introduction of structured employee assistance programmes. Keywords: occupational health, forensic pathology, biosafety, teaching hospital, South West Nigeria.