After nearly eight years of work, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has announced the publication of the revised ISO 10218, the global flagship standard for industrial robot safety. In its first major revision since 2011, these new documents offer a significant leap forward in ensuring the safety of robotics in industrial environments.
"Working alongside hundreds of global experts, A3 played a pivotal role in shepherding this update to publication, to refine safety requirements in response to evolving automation technologies and workplace demands," said Jeff Burnstein, A3 President. "This effort reflects A3's ongoing commitment to enhancing robotic safety and supporting the widespread adoption of automation."
The new ISO 10218 Parts 1 and 2 feature extensive updates that focus on making functional safety requirements more explicit rather than implied. This shift enhances clarity and usability, making compliance more straightforward for manufacturers and integrators alike.
In North America, ISO 10218 had been previously adopted as ANSI R15.06 in the United States and CSA Z434 in Canada. Work is underway to adopt the new 10218 in both jurisdictions with new versions of R15.06 and Z434 expected to be released later this year.
Key Updates in ISO 10218 (2025)
ISO 10218 consists of two parts:
- Part 1: Safety Requirements for Industrial Robots (Manufacturers)
- Part 2: Safety Requirements for Industrial Robot Applications and Robot Cells (System Integrators).
Both parts have undergone extensive revisions to address the latest safety challenges and technological advancements, including:
- Clarified functional safety requirements that offer more precise safety guidelines to enhance compliance and risk mitigation
- Integrated safety requirements for collaborative robot applications that consolidates the previously separate ISO/TS 15066
- Incorporated safety guidance for manual load/unload procedures and end-effectors (sometimes called end-of-arm tooling or EOAT) from previously separate technical reports (TR 20218-1 and TR 20218-2)
- New robot classifications with corresponding functional safety requirements and test methodologies
- Cybersecurity requirements pertaining to industrial robot safety.
Carole Franklin, Director of Standards at A3 Robotics, emphasized the significance of these updates: "With automation evolving at an unprecedented pace, it is essential that safety standards keep up with the latest advancements. This is a critical step in ensuring that as automation grows, worker safety remains a top priority. These revisions provide clearer guidelines and new classifications that will help manufacturers and system integrators implement the latest technology for safer robotic solutions."
The 2025 edition of ISO 10218 is now available for purchase to U.S. customers through the A3 webstore.
For additional information or questions about the new ISO 10218 standard, contact your national standards body. A complete listing of these organizations is available at www.iso.org/members.html.
For more information contact:
Association for Advancing Automation (A3)
900 Victors Way, Ste. 140
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-994-6088
www.automate.org