The integration of industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots) has revolutionized manufacturing, but with power and speed comes the critical need for safety. Ensuring a safe working environment when humans and machines interact isn’t just a matter of best practice; it’s a matter of regulatory compliance guided by comprehensive, globally recognized standards.

These standards provide engineers, technicians, and safety managers with the framework necessary to design, install, operate, and maintain robotic systems safely.

The Foundational International Standard: ISO 10218

The most critical safety standard for robotics globally is the ISO 10218 series, which is composed of two main parts:

1. ISO 10218-1: Robot Design Requirements

This part focuses specifically on the robot manufacturer. It details the requirements for the robot itself, including design and construction for safety. Key requirements include:

  • Emergency Stop: Ensuring reliable and accessible emergency stop functions that remove power quickly.
  • Speed and Motion Monitoring: Requiring the robot to have internal controls to monitor and limit its speed and boundaries.
  • Brake Systems: Specifying the integrity and reliability of the braking systems used to hold the robot arm in position.

Essentially, this standard ensures that the robot purchased by a facility is inherently safe and designed with necessary safety functions.

2. ISO 10218-2: Installation and Integration

This part is crucial for the end-user, system integrator, or facility owner. It governs the safety requirements for the installation, integration, and safeguarding of the robotic system. It covers everything from risk assessment to training and maintenance procedures. Key elements include:

  • System Layout: Requirements for defining the restricted workspace and separating the robot from human workers.
  • Safeguarding Devices: Guidance on using physical barriers, interlocks, light curtains, and pressure mats to protect personnel.
  • Risk Assessment: The mandatory requirement to conduct a thorough risk assessment of the complete robotic cell before commissioning.

The Key to Cobot Safety: ISO/TS 15066

While ISO 10218 provides a basis for all robots, collaborative robots (cobots) require specialized standards because they are designed to work without caging. The technical specification ISO/TS 15066 works alongside ISO 10218-1 and -2 and is the primary document for cobot safety.

This standard details the four primary methods of collaborative operation and establishes crucial limits for contact:

  1. Safety-Rated Monitored Stop: The cobot stops movement when a human enters the collaborative workspace.
  2. Hand Guiding: Allows an operator to manually move and guide the robot arm for programming or task execution.
  3. Speed and Separation Monitoring: The system tracks the distance between the robot and the human and adjusts the robot’s speed based on proximity.
  4. Power and Force Limiting: This is the most critical feature. It dictates the maximum power and force a cobot can exert, ensuring that contact with an operator will not cause injury. ISO/TS 15066 provides pain thresholds and force limits for different body areas, guiding the safety setup.

This standard gives system integrators the parameters needed to ensure that a cobot can safely perform its task while in close proximity to human workers.

The North American Framework: ANSI/RIA R15.06

In addition to the global ISO standards, North American manufacturing relies heavily on the ANSI/RIA R15.06 standard (developed by the Robotics Industries Association). This standard is a direct adoption of ISO 10218-1 and -2, but often includes regional amendments and compliance guidance specific to regulatory bodies and regional practices.

  • Role of Integrator: R15.06 places clear responsibility on the system integrator and end-user to conduct mandatory risk assessments and implement appropriate safeguarding measures as detailed in ISO 10218-2.
  • Continuous Improvement: The standard mandates that the risk assessment and safety procedures must be reviewed and updated whenever the robotic cell is modified or repurposed, ensuring ongoing safety compliance.

Creating a Safe Working Environment

These safety standards provide a structured, defensible methodology for achieving safety in robotics:

1. Mandatory Risk Assessment

Safety begins here. Facility teams must conduct a formal risk assessment to identify potential hazards, estimate the severity of injury, and determine the necessary safety functions. This assessment dictates whether fencing, light curtains, or simple force-limiting features are required.

2. Design and Engineering Controls

This involves using the robot’s built-in safety functions (ISO 10218-1) and integrating controls into the cell (ISO 10218-2). Examples include:

  • Safety Interlocks: Ensuring that all gates leading into the robot cell are locked while the robot is operating.
  • Dual-Channel Safety Circuitry: Using redundant wiring and controllers to prevent a single component failure from compromising safety.

3. Training and Procedures

Safety standards require that all personnel who operate, maintain, or program the robots are properly trained. This includes understanding:

  • Lockout/Tagout (LOTO): Procedures for safely de-energizing the robot during maintenance.
  • Robot Operating Modes: The difference between manual speed, reduced speed for programming, and full automatic operation.

By strictly adhering to these standards—ISO 10218 for traditional robots and ISO/TS 15066 for cobots—companies create a highly productive environment where advanced automation and human workers can safely coexist.