Safety switch assemblies

A safety switch, comprising:

• a housing containing electrical contacts movable between a power supply off position and a power supply on position by rotation of an actuating cam also contained within the housing and rotatable about a predetermined axis by an actuator of a predetermined shape insertable into the housing,
• at least one locking member mounted for movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the actuating cam, the at least one locking member being resiliently urged towards a position in which the at least one locking member locks the actuating cam against rotation and consequent movement of the electrical contacts to the power supply on position,
• the housing defining first and second apertures through which the actuator is insertable, the actuator when inserted into each of the apertures engages the at least one locking member and displaces the at least one locking member away from a path of movement of the actuator into a position in which the actuating cam is free to rotate relative to the housing, and engages and rotates the cam to cause movement of the electrical contacts to the power supply on position,
• the at least one locking member comprising first and second slidably interengaged components, the first and second components defining interengaging surfaces configured such that displacement of the first component in a first direction causes the second component to be displaced in a second direction and displacement of the second component in the second direction causes the first component to be displaced in the first direction,
• the actuator being configured such that when inserted through the first aperture the actuator pushes the first component in the first direction and when inserted through the second aperture the actuator pushes the second component in the second direction.