PARIS – A construction safety and health course, which will introduce students to the principles of safety and health in the construction industry, will be offered at Central Maine Community College’s Western Maine Center beginning Tuesday, Sept. 5.

“This course includes identification of safety and health hazards, risk reduction measures, personal protection and safety attitudes and training,” said Thomas Ryan, chairman of the college occupational health and safety department. “Standards under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be the basis of this course.”

The course is open to the public and has no prerequisites; it is also part of a new 30-credit certificate program in construction safety and health offered by the college.

It is the only such program in New England and is also available over the Internet – the only such online program in the country.

“Construction health and safety technicians are becoming more important in the construction industry,” said Ryan. “This has been attributed to increased worker’s compensation costs and demand for services as well as increasingly complex regulations in this country. In addition, many large owners of industry are requiring subcontractors to have safety and health personnel on their sites.”

The three-credit course will be held from 6 to 8:55 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 5 through Dec. 19.

Western Maine Center is located at 232 Main St., South Paris. For more information, contact Barbara Livingston at 743-9322 or 888-677-3377. To register for this or any other course, call the registrar’s office at 800-891-2002, ext. 292, or online at www.cmcc.edu and click on “course offerings.”