The invention relates to a method of operating a mobile hand-operated device (9) provided as a means of outputting or enabling potentially dangerous control commands to a controllable technical device (1) actively connected to it or to another hand-operated device(9′). A safety switch device (16) . . . comprising at least one evaluation circuit and at least one enable button (18) connected to the evaluation circuit for transmitting signals is provided, which has an idle mode which is assumed automatically without applying operating force and two consecutive operating modes set on the basis of a differing strength of operating force and/or by different displacement distances in the form of an enable operation mode and a panic operating mode. Either an active mode is assigned to the at least one enable button (18) in which an enabling mode for running potentially dangerous control commands can be signalled or made available when the enable operation mode is assumed, or an inactive mode in which signalling or availability of the enabling mode is suppressed or not possible. When or after the evaluation circuit has detected on the basis of signals that the panic operating mode or the panic operating mode and the idle mode has been assumed, the active mode is assigned to the respective enable button (18). Also specified is a corresponding mobile hand-operated device (9, 9′) and a corresponding safety switching device (16).