The invention relates to a control system for electrically controlled installations, comprising at least one electronic control apparatus and at least one portable, mobile handheld operating unit, and a wireless communication connection between the at least one control apparatus and the handheld operating unit. Furthermore, at least one material coupling means, flexible in terms of form, with a restricted maximum longitudinal extent is provided for selectively establishing and releasing a physical link between the handheld operating unit and a machine-side coupling counterpart. The control system is embodied to release or block supervision-relevant control commands depending on a coupling state and/or a linkage state of the coupling means.