Push Button Switch vs. Emergency Stop Switch: 4 Points of Comparison — Purpose and Action, Contacts and Direct Opening, Latching and Reset, Appearance and Standards

An ordinary push button switch is used to issue an operating command, such as starting a machine or switching modes; an emergency stop switch is used to stop the load in a dangerous situation. According to the manufacturers’ descriptions, the normally closed contacts of an emergency stop switch must have a direct opening mechanism, it must latch itself once pressed, and it usually looks like a red mushroom head. The difference lies in “whether pressing it gives a command, or protects people and equipment.” Compare them on four points, then choose according to your machine. In this article, “push button switch” means an ordinary control push button; “emergency stop switch” means an emergency stop button that mechanically latches when pressed; emergency switching off, safety relays, and pull-cord switches are outside the scope. The 4 points of comparison:

• Point ①｜Purpose and action: issuing an operating command, or stopping the machine in danger.

• Point ②｜Contacts and direct opening: normally open to make, or normally closed to break.

• Point ③｜Latching and reset: momentary or maintained, or self-latching.

• Point ④｜Appearance and standards: color and shape, and regional rules.

This article starts from the point where you already know the panel needs a push button; the data from each source and the basis are in the notes at the end. To read the selection guide for each first, see “How to Choose a Push Button Switch” and “How to Choose an Emergency Stop Switch“. This is the general case; individual cases still have to be judged on their own.

Figure 1: The four points of comparison between a push button switch and an emergency stop switch. ① Purpose and action — push button: issue an operating command, start or switch modes; emergency stop: stop the machine in danger, stop the hazardous part. ② Contacts and direct opening — push button: normally open or normally closed, chosen by circuit; emergency stop: normally closed contacts, must have a direct opening mechanism. ③ Latching and reset — push button: momentary or maintained, by purpose; emergency stop: latches itself once pressed, released only by reset. ④ Appearance and standards — push button: color and shape by panel layout; emergency stop: red mushroom head, yellow base, by regional rules. (Illustration, not to scale.)

Point ①: Purpose and action — issuing an operating command, or stopping the machine in danger

How to look at it:

• First write down: what pressing this button is meant to do, who will press it, and in what situation.

• To issue an operating command, such as start, stop, or switching modes, the ordinary push button switch is the route.

• To stop the hazardous part in a dangerous situation, the emergency stop switch is the route.

• Then ask: does it act only while held (momentary), or stay put after release (maintained)?

What the public sources say: An automation manufacturer’s knowledge base article (modified May 2025; the manufacturer’s statement) says: general-purpose push button switches are used for control, such as starting machine operation or switching modes; emergency stop push button switches are a safety measure used to stop the hazardous part (the load). An industrial parts seller’s blog (February 2022; the seller’s statement) says: a standard push button makes the circuit to start a machine or process, while pressing an emergency stop breaks the circuit. An electronic components manufacturer’s article (February 2022; the manufacturer’s statement; an overview of ordinary push switches) says: a momentary switch acts only while held, and a maintained switch stays in its new state after it acts. An electronic components seller’s guide (undated; the seller’s statement) likewise divides them into momentary and maintained (latching). An electrical manufacturer’s FAQ page (published 2010, modified November 2025; the manufacturer’s statement) separates emergency stopping from emergency switching off: emergency stopping is a complementary protective measure against hazards to people from machinery; emergency switching off removes the danger of electric shock or fire; this article covers the former (Notes, Table 1).

Point ②: Contacts and direct opening — normally open to make, or normally closed to break

How to look at it:

• First write down: what circuit the button is connected to (PLC input, contactor coil, safety circuit), the voltage and current, and whether it is normally open or normally closed.

• Ordinary push button switches often use normally open (NO) contacts; pressing them makes the circuit.

• Emergency stop switches use normally closed (NC) contacts; the circuit is made while not pressed, and pressing breaks it.

• Ask whether the normally closed contacts have a direct opening mechanism, and what happens if the contacts weld.

What the public sources say: The manufacturer’s knowledge base article above says: there is no functional difference between the normally open contacts of the two; in its general-purpose push button switches, the normally closed contacts have no direct opening mechanism, so if the contacts weld, conduction continues and the load cannot be stopped in a dangerous situation; the normally closed contacts of an emergency stop switch must have a direct opening mechanism, and it says that for safety purposes the normally closed contacts of an emergency stop switch should be used; the page does not explain the details of the mechanism. The seller’s blog above says: standard push buttons usually use normally open contacts to send power to the equipment, while emergency stops use normally closed contacts, with current flowing continuously until pressed, and it lists a direct opening mechanism as a requirement for the normally closed contacts. The electrical manufacturer’s FAQ page above says: the normally closed contacts of both emergency stopping and emergency switching off devices open directly; the difference is in the speed of opening; for emergency switching off (mechanical latching), the speed of opening depends on how fast it is pressed, and the OFF command may occur before latching; for emergency stopping (snap action, mechanical latching), opening and latching are independent of how fast it is pressed, and both are driven by stored spring energy (Notes, Table 2).

Point ③: Latching and reset — momentary or maintained, or self-latching

How to look at it:

• First write down: after the emergency stop is pressed, how the machine can be restarted, and who resets it.

• Whether an ordinary push button switch is momentary or maintained is chosen by purpose.

• An emergency stop switch must stay in the pressed position once pressed, and is released only by a reset action.

• Releasing it must not make the machine restart by itself; confirm this together with the control circuit.

What the public sources say: The manufacturer’s knowledge base article above says: an emergency stop switch must have a self-holding function; for general-purpose switches, the page does not say whether they hold or how they reset. The seller’s blog above says: resetting an emergency stop must be done by the operator directly by hand at the position where it was pressed, and the method depends on the type — turning a key, rotating the button back to its starting point, or pulling it firmly back to the normally closed position. The electrical manufacturer’s FAQ page above says: the machinery directives and standards listed on the page all require that a device must not latch without generating a stop command, nor generate only a stop command without latching; the page describes the mechanism of a snap-action emergency stop as one that cannot latch without generating a stop command; the page also says the machinery directive explicitly requires only snap-action, mechanically latched emergency stops (this is the page’s own restatement of the machinery directive, and the sentence before it refers to the old 98/37/EC; this article did not read the text of the directive); releasing an emergency stop must not restart the machine; an emergency switching off device must be able to latch, and snap action is not required but is allowed, which the page describes as arguably safer (Notes, Table 3).

Point ④: Appearance and standards — color and shape, and regional rules

How to look at it:

• First write down: which regions the machine is sold to, whether the panel has unified rules for colors and symbols, and whether operators can see it in an emergency.

• The color and shape of an ordinary push button switch are chosen by the panel layout.

• For an emergency stop switch, check whether a mushroom head, a red button, and a yellow base are required, and ask about the relevant standards.

• Standards depend on the region and the machine type; go by your own regulations.

What the public sources say: The manufacturer’s knowledge base article above says: the emergency stop button must be a mushroom head or a design equally easy to operate, the button must be red and the base yellow, and it must be conspicuous and easy to operate; the rules are in the European standard EN 418 (international standard ISO 13850); no standard is cited for general purposes. The seller’s blog above says: an emergency stop is a red mushroom-head button on a yellow base, while standard push buttons are usually green, round or square, and their design is usually not regulated; the appearance of emergency stops follows regional rules, with North America citing NEMA and Europe citing EN. An electronic components seller’s guide says: common emergency stops are palm-shaped or mushroom-shaped, red and yellow, so that operators can recognize them easily; it does not say what each of the two colors is used for. The electrical manufacturer’s FAQ page above does not discuss color; the regulations and standards it lists include the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, EN/IEC 60204-1, EN ISO 13850, and IEC 60947-5-5, and it says that EN ISO 13850 requires that, where markings are used to identify an emergency stop device, the symbol of an inverted triangle inside a circle be used (Notes, Table 4).

Comparison table: the four points at a glance

Source: Notes, Tables 1 to 4 (Sources 1 to 5). These are what each source says; the sources differ in level of detail, and these are not selection thresholds.

How to choose: when to use a push button switch, and when to use an emergency stop switch

Based on the public sources, the choice between the two can be viewed like this (sorting the sources’ statements into five situations is this article’s synthesis):

• When to use a push button switch: to issue an operating command, such as start or switching modes; normally open or normally closed chosen by circuit (Sources 1, 3, 4).

• When to use an emergency stop switch: to stop the hazardous part in danger; the normally closed contacts must have a direct opening mechanism, and it must self-latch (Sources 1, 2, 3).

• Contacts for safety purposes: a manufacturer says the normally closed contacts of an emergency stop switch should be used for safety purposes, and says the normally closed contacts of a general-purpose switch have no direct opening mechanism (Source 1).

• Whether to fit one, and which kind: Source 2 says a risk assessment is needed, and also distinguishes emergency stopping from emergency switching off; this article does not decide for you.

• Near the boundary: the sources give no life or price difference between the two; how colors and standards are written varies in detail between sources, so go by your own machine and regional rules (Sources 1, 2, 3, 5).

These points are what the public sources say, not a conclusion for your machine; which one to actually choose still depends on your purpose, circuit, and regional rules.

What Jiahon can help with:

On the push button switch side:

• Illuminated Push Button Switch: the product name reads Illuminated Push Button Switch; for the color, size, contacts, and voltage of each item, please inquire.

• Illuminated Push Button: one item within the same product page — yellow, 22 mm, contacts 1A1B, rated 600 V / 10 A, lamp voltage 220 V; whether it springs back or stays put after pressing is not stated on the product page, so please inquire.

• Illuminated Push Button Switch: another page; for automatic return or maintained action and the specifications of each item, please inquire.

On the emergency stop switch side:

• Emergency Switch: the product name reads emergency switch, with a brand listed; for the contacts, protection rating, and reset method of each item, please inquire.

• Emergency Switch: another page; for the contacts, protection rating, and reset method of each item, please inquire.

• Emergency Switch: another page; for the contacts, protection rating, and reset method of each item, please inquire.

• Emergency Switch: another page; for the contacts, protection rating, and reset method of each item, please inquire.

When you need to match a type, please prepare six items first: the purpose (issuing operating commands, or stopping in danger); the circuit to be connected (voltage, current, normally open or normally closed, number of contacts); momentary or maintained, and the reset method of the emergency stop (twist, pull, or key); the cutout size and mounting position (panel and environment); which regions the machine is sold to and the standards required; and the model you use now and the problem you have run into. You are welcome to contact Jiahon.

Notes: sources and exceptions

The following is for those who need to verify; skipping it does not affect the method above. Where your equipment specifications, the written data of push button and emergency stop manufacturers, standards, or on-site rules differ from this article, they take precedence.

Sources for each point

Table 1｜Purpose and action

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Table 2｜Contacts and direct opening

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Table 3｜Latching and reset

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Table 4｜Appearance and standards

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5

This is the general case; individual cases still have to be judged on their own.

Exceptions and limits

• What we saw and did not see: this article looked at an automation manufacturer’s knowledge base article (page marked as modified May 11, 2025, no author; the manufacturer’s statement), an electrical manufacturer’s FAQ page (published November 29, 2010, modified November 21, 2025; the manufacturer’s statement), an industrial parts seller’s blog (February 8, 2022; the seller’s statement), an electronic components manufacturer’s article (page metadata marked February 11, 2022; the manufacturer’s statement; an overview of ordinary push switches), and an electronic components seller’s guide (no date; the © 2026 in the footer is a copyright notice; the seller’s statement). All 5 sources were written by manufacturers or sellers; we did not read the text of any standard, and there are no academic or neutral-body documents. We did not read any comparison of life or price between push button switches and emergency stop switches; Source 1 does not explain the details of the direct opening mechanism, nor whether general-purpose switches hold or how they reset; Source 2 does not discuss color; Source 3 gives no wiring diagram; Source 4 does not discuss emergency stops; Source 5 gives no electrical ratings, life, or cutout sizes; we did not read test results for any Jiahon product.

• The sources do not compare exactly the same things: Source 2 separates “emergency stopping” from “emergency switching off,” while Sources 1 and 3 discuss only emergency stopping, and this article’s emergency stop switch means the former; Source 4 is an overview of ordinary push switches and does not discuss emergency stops; none puts push button switches and emergency stop switches side by side.

• Names of standards: EN 418, ISO 13850, IEC 60947-5-5, EN/IEC 60204-1, the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, NEMA, and others mentioned in this article are as written in the sources; we did not read the text of these standards or directives; Source 2 writes IEC 60947-5-5 as “IEN/IEC 60947-5-5,” which this article rewrites as IEC 60947-5-5. This article does not cite voltage, current, or life figures.

• How colors are written: Sources 1 and 3 say red button, yellow base; Source 5 says only that common emergency stops are palm-shaped or mushroom-shaped, red and yellow, without saying what each color is used for; Source 2 does not discuss color. The sources differ in detail, so go by your own machine and regional rules.

• Single sources: the normally closed contacts of general-purpose switches having no direct opening mechanism, conduction continuing when contacts weld, the normally closed contacts of an emergency stop having to have a direct opening mechanism, EN 418 and ISO 13850, and using the normally closed contacts of an emergency stop for safety purposes (Source 1); the distinction between emergency stopping and emergency switching off, the relationship between speed of opening and speed of pressing, the description of the snap-action mechanism, release not restarting the machine, the list of directives and standards, and the inverted-triangle-in-a-circle symbol (Source 2); resetting directly by hand at the spot, the three reset methods of twisting, pulling, or key, standard push buttons usually being green, and NEMA in North America and EN in Europe (Source 3). The statements on momentary and maintained come from two sources, Sources 4 and 5.

• Sources with a stake: all 5 were written by manufacturers or sellers; none is a standard itself or a third-party test report.

• The sources are in English: the Chinese version of this article is a translation, not the sources’ own words.

• Scope: in this article, “push button switch” means an ordinary control push button; “emergency stop switch” means an emergency stop button that mechanically latches when pressed; emergency switching off, safety relays, and pull-cord switches are outside the scope; model cross-references, prices, and lead times are also not discussed.

• Safety: this article only relays what the public sources say and a way of thinking about selection; it does not say “complies with regulations” or “this makes it safe”; whether to fit an emergency stop, and which kind, should follow your risk assessment, the equipment maker, and site rules.

• Equipment and products: “What Jiahon can help with” takes only the product name wording from the product pages; this article does not cite the number of contacts, rated voltage and current, life, protection rating, or reset method of any item, and did not read any specification sheet, so please inquire; this article does not cite the part numbers, brands, promotional wording in front of product names, prices, or comparison notes on the product pages. This article takes only the product name wording from the product pages.

• Product pages with the same name: on the push button side, two pages have the product name “illuminated push button switch,” and one of them also contains a yellow 22 mm item, distinguished by an in-page link; on the emergency stop side, four pages have the product name “emergency switch”; the link text does not include brand or model, and “another page” is used to tell them apart.

• This article’s own synthesis: the “How to choose” section sorts the sources’ statements into five situations — “use a push button switch,” “use an emergency stop switch,” “contacts for safety purposes,” “whether to fit one,” and “near the boundary”; this is a synthesis, not the sources’ own words, and it states that the sources give no life or price difference. The last “How to look at it” point under Point 3 (releasing it must not make the machine restart by itself; confirm this together with the control circuit) is a working method; Source 2 says only that releasing an emergency stop must not restart the machine.