, assumedly to keep out dust and coffee powder...
To me, the switch has been a bit of a nuisance to activate: it toggles in a vertical plane, it is more of less "hard" to toggle, and moreover the plastic protective covering makes it even less "pleasant" to use. Furthermore, and this is of course a matter of how my "coffee corner" is set up, the grinder is located to the left of the espresso maquina, and I am left-handed. All this means that, ergonomically, I have to stabilize the grinder with my left ("good") hand, toggle the switch with my lousy right hand...whatever... I never felt good about the ergonomics.
So I found a two-penny solution.
I keep the Macap grinder switch permanently in the "on" position, and bought a 7.00 Euro 1.5 meter extension cord with a built-in on/off toggle switch, mounted that on the left-hand side of the coffee table and PRESTO, we have a perfect setup: the switch is now in a position where my hand just naturally falls on right onto it, ergonomics galore!
Additionally, the Macap switch is spared, and it is not likely to break down, saving me the trouble of having to order a new spare...from Italy... or whatever...in case of malfunction.