A safety switching apparatus for power-operated equipment, for power-operated machinery and for power-operated windows, doors, sliding equipment and the like, in particular of vehicles, having at least a light source, an optical waveguide (1), a light sensor and an associated control unit that controls the driving of the equipment in dependence on the intensity of light received by the light sensor, the optical waveguide (1) having a light-guiding core (2) with a high refraction coefficient and an outer wall (3) surrounding the light-guiding core (2) and having a lower refraction coefficient than the light guiding core (2), the light-guiding core (2) and/or the outer wall (3) being fabricated from a material that is in a liquid or elastically deformable state in the optical waveguide (1) ready for service.