Public liability insurance holders in Hartlepool will be inspected in a joint initiative by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the town's council to improve risk levels on local industrial estates.
Inspectors will be raising awareness of dangers in the workplace, along with promoting sensible management and improving the standards of those firms which have been visited.
The HSE confirmed that it will also be taking enforcement action where standards fail to meet legal requirements.
Jane Kett, principal environmental health officer at Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "We'll be looking to ensure that companies are taking the necessary steps to identify and minimise the risks to help ensure a safer workplace for all."
Last year, firms in Sunderland were subjected to similar inspections, with more than 65 public liability insurance holders given advice and recommendations about how they can improve health and safety on their sites.