Monitoring and control system comprising: a safety switch including: a first input terminal and a second input terminal adapted to be connected to a power supply, a first output terminal and a second output terminal adapted to be connected at least one load, and at least two groups of relays (1000, 1100), wherein each group comprises at least two relays (1010, 1080; 1110, 1180) having respectively a first set of switching contacts (1012, 1082; 1112, 1182) and a second set of switching contacts (1014, 1084; 1114, 1184), the first set of switching contacts and the second set of switching contacts of each relay are actuated simultaneously by an actuator (1018, 1088; 1118, 1188), wherein the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082; 1112, 1182) of the at least two relays (1010, 1080; 1110, 1180) of a group are connected electrically in parallel and the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084; 1114, 1184) of the at least two relays of a group (1000, 1100) are connected electrically in parallel, the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082) of a first group being connected electrically in series with the first sets of switching contacts (1112, 1182) of a second group, the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084) of the first group being connected electrically in series with the second sets (1114, 1184) of switching contacts of the second group, wherein the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082) of the first group are connected to the first input terminal and the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084) of the first group are connected to the second input terminal, wherein the first sets of switching contacts (1112, 1182) of the second group being connected to the first output terminal and the second sets of switching contacts (1114, 1184) of the second group being connected to the second output terminal; and wherein the monitoring and control system further includes a controller for controlling the relays of the at least two groups (1000, 1100), wherein the safety switch is adapted to sequentially open the first and second set of contacts of each of the relays, wherein the first and second sets of contacts of the other relays remain closed. a safety switch including: a first input terminal and a second input terminal adapted to be connected to a power supply, a first output terminal and a second output terminal adapted to be connected at least one load, and at least two groups of relays (1000, 1100), wherein each group comprises at least two relays (1010, 1080; 1110, 1180) having respectively a first set of switching contacts (1012, 1082; 1112, 1182) and a second set of switching contacts (1014, 1084; 1114, 1184), the first set of switching contacts and the second set of switching contacts of each relay are actuated simultaneously by an actuator (1018, 1088; 1118, 1188), wherein the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082; 1112, 1182) of the at least two relays (1010, 1080; 1110, 1180) of a group are connected electrically in parallel and the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084; 1114, 1184) of the at least two relays of a group (1000, 1100) are connected electrically in parallel, the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082) of a first group being connected electrically in series with the first sets of switching contacts (1112, 1182) of a second group, the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084) of the first group being connected electrically in series with the second sets (1114, 1184) of switching contacts of the second group, wherein a first input terminal and a second input terminal adapted to be connected to a power supply, a first output terminal and a second output terminal adapted to be connected at least one load, and at least two groups of relays (1000, 1100), wherein each group comprises at least two relays (1010, 1080; 1110, 1180) having respectively a first set of switching contacts (1012, 1082; 1112, 1182) and a second set of switching contacts (1014, 1084; 1114, 1184), the first set of switching contacts and the second set of switching contacts of each relay are actuated simultaneously by an actuator (1018, 1088; 1118, 1188), wherein the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082; 1112, 1182) of the at least two relays (1010, 1080; 1110, 1180) of a group are connected electrically in parallel and the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084; 1114, 1184) of the at least two relays of a group (1000, 1100) are connected electrically in parallel, the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082) of a first group being connected electrically in series with the first sets of switching contacts (1112, 1182) of a second group, the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084) of the first group being connected electrically in series with the second sets (1114, 1184) of switching contacts of the second group, wherein the first sets of switching contacts (1012, 1082) of the first group are connected to the first input terminal and the second sets of switching contacts (1014, 1084) of the first group are connected to the second input terminal, wherein the first sets of switching contacts (1112, 1182) of the second group being connected to the first output terminal and the second sets of switching contacts (1114, 1184) of the second group being connected to the second output terminal; and wherein the monitoring and control system further includes a controller for controlling the relays of the at least two groups (1000, 1100), wherein the safety switch is adapted to sequentially open the first and second set of contacts of each of the relays, wherein the first and second sets of contacts of the other relays remain closed.