A safety control device applicable to an elevator system including an elevator car driven in an elevator shaft by means of a drive device, said safety control device comprising at least one sensor configured to detect, in the elevator shaft, a presence of an object in at least one specified area of the elevator shaft, and a controller configured to receive and process a signal of the at least one sensor indicating a detection result, and to conduct, when the detection result indicates the presence of an object in the at least one specified area of the elevator shaft, a safety procedure in which a switch from a normal drive control of the drive unit to a safety drive control is executed in which a target value set for the speed of the elevator car is decreased.