A method for operating a circuit breaker includes: initiating a shutdown process when a fault current caused by body contact or ground contact is detected; and during the shutdown process, reducing a voltage value between a neutral conductor and at least one current-carrying conductor at an output of the circuit breaker to substantially zero from an operating-voltage value according to a predetermined shutdown curve by a shutdown unit. During the shutdown process, the circuit is not suddenly interrupted, but the voltage value is reduced from a starting point according to the shutdown curve and only reaches substantially zero after a predetermined first time period.