Switching device (1) for operating at least one load, comprising at least one switching unit (7; 8; 9), which switches a tapped current phase (L) to a load (2-1; 2-2; 2-3) connectable to the switching unit (7; 8; 9) to supply said load with current and which has a measurement unit (7C; 8C; 9C) which measures a current phase progression of the at least one current phase (L); a local control unit (18), which after receiving a control command from an external control system (24) actuates a semiconductor switch (7B; 8B; 9B) of the switching unit (7; 8; 9) in such a way that the semiconductor switch (7B; 8B; 9B) switches at a zero of the current phase (L) measured by the measurement unit (7C; 8C; 9C), and a local monitoring unit (20), which evaluates the current phase progression, measured by the measurement unit (7C; 8C; 9C), of the at least one current phase (L) to detect an operational deviation from a normal current supply to the associated load (2-1; 2-2; 2-3) connected to the switching unit (7; 8; 9), and reports any detected operational deviation.