Die werknemer gaan die nooduitgang, veiligheidshelm en veiligheidsbril na.

Because nagaan is a separable verb in Afrikaans.

The full verb is nagaan, which often means to check, inspect, or go over. In a main clause, the verb splits:

• gaan goes to the normal verb position
• na moves to the end

So:

• Die werknemer gaan die nooduitgang na. = The employee checks the emergency exit.

With a longer object list, the same thing happens:

• Die werknemer gaan die nooduitgang, veiligheidshelm en veiligheidsbril na.

In an infinitive or participle form, it stays together as nagaan.

Here it is part of nagaan.

That is important, because English speakers often recognize gaan as go or as a future marker like is going to. But in this sentence, gaan ... na together means check / inspect.

So this sentence is not saying the employee is going somewhere. It is saying the employee is checking something.

Because one die can cover the whole coordinated list.

So:

• die nooduitgang, veiligheidshelm en veiligheidsbril

means:

• the emergency exit, safety helmet and safety glasses

Afrikaans does not need to repeat the article before every noun in a simple list. You could repeat it in some contexts, but normally it is not necessary.

Compare:

• die boek, pen en sak = the book, pen and bag

This is completely normal.

Die is the definite article, meaning the.

Unlike languages such as German or Dutch, Afrikaans does not have grammatical gender in its articles. So die is used broadly and does not change for masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns.

That makes it simpler than many European languages.

Examples:

• die werknemer = the employee
• die nooduitgang = the emergency exit
• die veiligheidshelm = the safety helmet

Afrikaans usually follows the verb-second pattern in main clauses.

That means the finite verb comes early in the sentence, usually in the second position. With a separable verb like nagaan, the first part goes near the front and the second part goes to the end.

So the structure is:

• Die werknemer = subject
• gaan = finite verb
• die nooduitgang, veiligheidshelm en veiligheidsbril = object
• na = separable particle

This is a very common Afrikaans pattern.

Yes. In a subordinate clause, separable verbs are usually written together again as one word.

For example:

• Ek sien dat die werknemer die nooduitgang, veiligheidshelm en veiligheidsbril nagaan. = I see that the employee checks the emergency exit, safety helmet and safety glasses.

Here you get nagaan, not gaan ... na.

That is a useful contrast:

• Main clause: gaan ... na
• Subordinate clause / infinitive: nagaan

Because Afrikaans forms compound nouns very freely, just like Dutch and often like German.

So:

• nood

  • uitgang = nooduitgang
    emergency + exit = emergency exit

• veiligheid

  • helm = veiligheidshelm
    safety + helmet = safety helmet

• veiligheid

  • bril = veiligheidsbril
    safety + glasses/goggle = safety glasses / safety goggles

English often uses separate words where Afrikaans prefers a single compound word.

Because the first part of the compound appears in the form veiligheids-.

This -s- is very common in Afrikaans compounds. It often links the parts of the word more naturally.

So:

• veiligheid
  • helm → veiligheidshelm
• veiligheid
  • bril → veiligheidsbril

You should usually learn these compounds as whole words, because the linking sound is not always completely predictable for beginners.

In practice, veiligheidsbril usually refers to protective eyewear as a unit, often meaning safety glasses or a pair of protective glasses/goggles.

Afrikaans often uses bril in the singular for something English may think of as glasses.

So even though English often uses a plural form, Afrikaans may use a singular noun for the item as one object.

Context tells you whether it means one pair of safety glasses or similar protective eyewear.

Because Afrikaans normally does not use the Oxford comma unless it is needed for clarity.

So a simple list is usually written like this:

• A, B en C

That is exactly what you see here:

• die nooduitgang, veiligheidshelm en veiligheidsbril

This is standard Afrikaans punctuation.

Yes. Werknemer means employee and is not restricted to a male person in normal use.

Afrikaans does not force grammatical gender in the article system, and many job words are used in a general way unless the context makes the person’s sex clear.

So die werknemer can mean:

• the male employee
• the female employee
• the employee, without specifying gender

Yes. It is a present-tense sentence.

• Die werknemer gaan ... na.

Because this is the separable verb nagaan, the meaning is something like:

• The employee checks ...
• The employee is checking ...

Which English version fits best depends on context, but grammatically the Afrikaans sentence is present tense.

No, not in a normal main clause.

In a main clause, you should split the separable verb:

• Die werknemer gaan die nooduitgang na.

Using nagaan as one word there would sound wrong in standard Afrikaans main-clause word order.

You use nagaan together in places such as:

• after another verb
• in infinitive form
• in subordinate clauses

For example:

• Die werknemer wil die nooduitgang nagaan.
• Ek weet dat die werknemer die nooduitgang nagaan.

A useful way to see it is:

• Die werknemer = subject
• gaan ... na = verb
• die nooduitgang, veiligheidshelm en veiligheidsbril = direct object

So the sentence pattern is basically:

• Subject + separable verb + object + particle

That pattern is very common in Afrikaans and worth learning early.