Abstract: A protective unit may prevent contact with conductive contacts in a withdrawable rack of a switching device. This may include one displaceable protective plate and lever arrangement for operating the protective plate. The lever arrangement has two levers that are interconnected in an articulated manner, of which a first lever can be operated by way of the switching device and the second lever is coupled to the mobile protective plate. A linking joint of the two levers acts simultaneously as the pivot bearing of the first lever and the first lever can be pivoted out of the displacement path of the switching device into an end position by way of a slide block that runs in a graded manner in the pivoting direction of the first lever.