Background: Abattoir work exposes workers to physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial hazards, yet evidence from Port Harcourt that links hazard exposure to compliance with safety practices is limited. This study assessed the occupational health hazards experienced by abattoir workers and their compliance with workplace safety practices in selected abattoirs in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 workers in three abattoirs (Okuru Ama, Minapu Azuabie and Eze Gbakagbaka Trans-Woji), selected by simple random sampling with proportional allocation. The sample size was calculated with Cochran’s formula and adjusted for 15% attrition. Data were collected in May 2026 with an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and analysed in SPSS using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Results: The mean age of respondents was 45.0 ± 8.2 years; half worked in cutting and processing, and 58.3% had no specialized occupational health and safety (OHS) training. All respondents (100%) had contact with live animals before slaughter, and 91.7% reported exposure to contaminated water or surfaces. Cuts and lacerations (91.7%), body pain (91.7%) and chemical-related symptoms (98.3%) were widely reported, whereas psychosocial hazards were mostly described as rare (83.3%). Biological hazards had the highest overall exposure score (0.68), followed by ergonomic (0.55) and chemical (0.52) hazards. Compliance was high for avoiding chemical preservatives (100%), keeping a first-aid box (91.7%), inspecting animals before slaughter (83.3%) and using proper waste disposal methods (83.4%). However, only 41.7% always used personal protective equipment (PPE), and only 8.3% each reported receiving OHS training, having a hazard-reporting or emergency system, or being given PPE by their employer. Conclusion: Abattoir workers in Port Harcourt are exposed to several overlapping hazards, led by biological, physical and ergonomic risks, despite high self-reported compliance with basic safety practices. Gaps in training, PPE provision and hazard reporting need to be closed through structured OHS training, employer-supported PPE, non-punitive reporting systems and regular regulatory inspection.