Abstract: For increasing the safety monitoring of a plant with several functional units, such as a production plant, the invention provides a method and apparatus, in which each functional unit is individually monitored or checked by its own redundant two-channel safety device. The safety devices constantly inform one another of their monitoring state. In the case of a malfunction of at least one functional unit or safety device, at least one safety-relevant actuator is operated. For achieving this objective, an apparatus is constructed with each functional unit being associated with a safety device and the safety devices are interconnected so that, in the case of a malfunction of at least one functional unit or safety device, at least one safety-relevant actuator is operated.