Emergency Stop Push Buttons

An emergency stop button, or E‑Stop, is a fail‑safe control device designed to immediately halt machinery in the event of a hazard. Its purpose is to stop equipment quickly whenever there is a risk of injury, equipment damage, or when a process must be interrupted for safety reasons.

All machinery requires clearly visible, easily accessible emergency stop buttons to reduce risk across industrial, commercial, and public environments. They are typically red with a yellow background, ensuring they can be identified instantly by anyone required to operate them. Complex machinery may feature multiple E‑Stops located at strategic points to ensure any section of the equipment can be quickly brought to a safe stop. Learn more in our Emergency Stop Buttons Guide.

Types of Emergency Stops

The most common types of emergency stop mechanisms include:

• Push‑Pull Pushed in to stop and released by pulling the button back out.
• Twist Release Pushed in to stop and released by twisting the button.
• Key Release Pushed in to stop and reset only with a dedicated key for controlled access.

Additional specialist types include:

• Foot and Palm Buttons Large, tamper‑resistant actuators operable by hand or foot. Their large contact surface allows rapid activation, making them suitable for harsh or industrial environments.
• Position Switches These link mechanically to an actuating element and offer high reliability. They are easy to install and suitable for a wide range of applications.

Emergency Stop Products at RS

At RS, we offer a comprehensive selection of emergency stop buttons suitable for manufacturing lines, automation systems, public facilities, machine panels and custom control stations, with Better World product options available to support improved sustainability through enhanced efficiency, reduced environmental impact and longer lifecycle performance.

Our range includes leading global brands such as Eaton, ABB, Schneider Electric and EAO, and with Fast Delivery, you can quickly source the right E‑Stop devices to keep your systems safe and compliant.