Safety switching arrangement for outputting a switching signal

A safety switching arrangement for outputting a switching signal for at least one switch for safety-oriented opening of a circuit which is useable to control the disconnection of a power supply of a load, comprising:

• at least one evaluation circuit configured to produce a respective unsafe drive signal for the at least one switch at a respective output;
• a programmable logic unit, suppliable with the drive signals at a respective input and operatively connected to the at least one switch, configured to drive the at least one switch with a safe drive signal, said programmable logic unit being implemented as a testing and monitoring device to test and monitor correct functioning of a respective one of the at least one switch during operation;
• and
• a safe non-floating first terminal of the at least one switch, the safe non-floating first terminal being operatively connected to a respective feedback input of the programmable logic unit in order to measure said terminal's potential state, said potential state corresponding to the safe drive signal of the at least one switch during fault-free operation.