Risk Section Rhine – Compact Course

Aim

The basic qualification ‘Union Patent’ provides the basis for expanding one’s personal areas of responsibility at the management level by acquiring the qualification ‘Rhine Risk Section’.

Description

With the transposition of EU Directive 2017/2397 ‘Professional Qualifications in Inland Navigation’ into national law, some changes came into force on 18 January 2022. At the same time, the standards of competence, i.e. the content and structure of examinations, were adapted to European standards in the Inland Navigation Personnel Ordinance.

It is still possible to enter the profession from outside the industry, and that is a good thing. We have therefore developed this combined course to prepare lateral entrants as well as possible for further GDWS examinations for special qualifications. It is not enough to navigate an inland vessel from ‘A’ to ‘B’; rather, the captain is expected to safely operate the inland vessel. In short, in addition to safe use of a waterway, personal and professional aptitude is required. The size of an inland vessel plays a subordinate role here. Responsible ship management includes interpreting all nautical and technical decisions in terms of safe freight transport on European waterways and/or the carriage of passengers. Understanding and observing national and international regulations is important in order to be able to take precautions for professional and proper route planning. In this context, relevant national and international legal sources must be observed. The high demands on the crew require conscious acceptance of the main responsibility by the management level. Day-to-day business is to be managed on board, whether it is freight, passenger, push boat or ferry transport.

A sound education and preparation for taking on the main responsibility is essential. The common goal will be to successfully implement a compact and at the same time practice-oriented preparation for the GDWS exams in order to then lay the foundation for the extended range of management tasks.

Please refer to our cancellation policy in our terms and conditions.

Content

• Legal bases for the use of the Rhine waterway
• Knowledge of the route Risky section of the Rhine
• Intensive exam preparation

Further information

When you register for the course, you are not automatically registered for the examination at the Directorate General for Waterways and Shipping (GDWS). Therefore, please register in good time for the examination at a GDWS location of your choice.

To take the exam, you must fulfil the following criteria:

1. Proof of time spent sailing as a deck crew member
2. Holders of a patent

The exam and issuing fees for the patent card must be paid to the GDWS, i.e. they are not included in the course fee.

Detailed information is published at www.elwis.de. The registration deadline for the patent exam is five weeks before the exam date.

Examination dates