Grade 12 · CAPS

Grade 12 Hygiene, safety and security

Hospitality practice questions and a worked example

Grade 12 Hospitality Studies questions on hygiene, safety and security come from the final NSC exam. The questions here ask you about diseases that affect food handlers and guests: the symptoms of cholera and tuberculosis and who is most at risk, how hepatitis A spreads and why infected staff must stay away from work, how HIV and tuberculosis are linked, and why a chef with HIV need not be kept from work. They come from the Department of Basic Education’s Grade 12 Hospitality Studies NSC papers for November 2023, November 2024 and November 2025, each with the answer from the marking guideline.

Worked example

SECTION B: KITCHEN AND RESTAURANT OPERATIONS; HYGIENE, SAFETY AND SECURITY QUESTION 2 Study the adapted media statement below and answer the questions that follow. MEDIA STATEMENT FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2023 PUBLIC URGED TO ADHERE TO CHOLERA PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOLLOWING FIRST DEATH One province has five confirmed cholera cases. Sadly, the fifth case resulted in the death of the patient who was earlier admitted to a hospital with profuse watery diarrhoea. The department's Outbreak Response and Surveillance Teams have already traced a total of 12 close contacts of the deceased. Two of these contacts are staff members at a restaurant. The health board assured restaurant management that they can continue with business as usual, as their hygiene practices and sanitation system adhere to the safety standards. [Adapted from media statement, 24/02/2023] 2.1.2 Motivate why the restaurant is not at risk to transmit the disease.

Answer & explanation

• The staff will not be at risk because the establishment uses a proper sanitation system /clean water/uncontaminated water • The health board assured the restaurant that they can continue/if there was a problem, they would have shut down the place/ Restaurant hygienic practices adhere to safety standards • Staff will ensure that the food is covered at all times • Staff will use clean water/ uncontaminated water/ treated water to wash fruit and vegetables • The restaurant provides treated / purified/ bottled water for drinking • Staff will only serve cooked fish and shellfish • Staff will ensure that food is cooked thoroughly • Staff will also wash their hands/sanitise often with antiseptic soap before and during food preparation • Clean/sanitise work areas and surfaces regularly • The two people didn’t contract the disease at the restaurant (Any 4)
1. The media statement confirms that the restaurant's hygiene practices and sanitation system adhere to safety standards. This means they follow proper protocols to prevent contamination. 2. The health board's assurance that the restaurant can continue operating indicates there is no risk of cholera transmission, as they would have closed it if there were any concerns. 3. Using clean, uncontaminated water for washing and cooking helps prevent the spread of cholera, which is often transmitted through contaminated water. 4. Ensuring food is covered and using treated or bottled water for drinking further minimizes any risk of contamination.

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SECTION A: SHORT QUESTIONS QUESTION 1 1.1.7 The general symptoms of tuberculosis:
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More practice questions

Explore additional Grade 12 Hygiene, safety and security questions.

  • 2
    SECTION B: KITCHEN AND RESTAURANT OPERATIONS; HYGIENE, SAFETY AND SECURITY QUESTION 2 Study the adapted media statement below and answer the questions that follow. MEDIA STATEMENT FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2023 PUBLIC URGED TO ADHERE TO CHOLERA PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOLLOWING FIRST DEATH One province has five confirmed cholera cases. Sadly, the fifth case resulted in the death of the patient who was earlier admitted to a hospital with profuse watery diarrhoea. The department's Outbreak Response and Surveillance Teams have already traced a total of 12 close contacts of the deceased. Two of these contacts are staff members at a restaurant. The health board assured restaurant management that they can continue with business as usual, as their hygiene practices and sanitation system adhere to the safety standards. [Adapted from media statement, 24/02/2023] 2.1.1 Name THREE symptoms, other than watery diarrhoea, that the contacts could experience.
  • 3
    SECTION B: KITCHEN AND RESTAURANT OPERATIONS; HYGIENE, SAFETY AND SECURITY QUESTION 2 Study the adapted media statement below and answer the questions that follow. MEDIA STATEMENT FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2023 PUBLIC URGED TO ADHERE TO CHOLERA PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES FOLLOWING FIRST DEATH One province has five confirmed cholera cases. Sadly, the fifth case resulted in the death of the patient who was earlier admitted to a hospital with profuse watery diarrhoea. The department's Outbreak Response and Surveillance Teams have already traced a total of 12 close contacts of the deceased. Two of these contacts are staff members at a restaurant. The health board assured restaurant management that they can continue with business as usual, as their hygiene practices and sanitation system adhere to the safety standards. [Adapted from media statement, 24/02/2023] 2.1.3 Describe the people who are most at risk of contracting the disease.
  • 4
    SECTION B: KITCHEN AND RESTAURANT OPERATIONS; HYGIENE, SAFETY AND SECURITY QUESTION 2 Study the scenario below and answer the questions that follow. MTT Hotel is a popular tourist establishment in South Africa. During a busy season, the hotel was expecting a tour group of retired teachers from overseas. Suddenly there were warnings of a hepatitis A outbreak in the area. The hotel was courteous enough to alert the tour group and hotel staff to take the necessary preventative measures. 2.1.2 Suggest ONE preventative measure that the retired teachers should take before departing on the tour.
  • 5
    SECTION B: KITCHEN AND RESTAURANT OPERATIONS; HYGIENE, SAFETY AND SECURITY QUESTION 2 Study the scenario below and answer the questions that follow. MTT Hotel is a popular tourist establishment in South Africa. During a busy season, the hotel was expecting a tour group of retired teachers from overseas. Suddenly there were warnings of a hepatitis A outbreak in the area. The hotel was courteous enough to alert the tour group and hotel staff to take the necessary preventative measures. 2.1.3 Describe which of the overseas guests might be more at risk of contracting hepatitis A.

Common mistakes

  • Saying a food handler with HIV must stop working. The marking guideline says HIV is not spread through food or shared utensils, so the worker needn’t be restricted unless there are other infections.
  • Repeating the symptom the question excludes. When asked for cholera symptoms other than watery diarrhoea, give others such as vomiting, rapid dehydration or muscle cramps.
  • Forgetting that hepatitis A affects the liver. Several marking-guideline answers follow from it, such as jaundice and staff being booked off work.

Aligned to CAPS Grade 12 Hospitality — Hygiene, safety and security. Curriculum source: CAPS for the FET Phase, Department of Basic Education.