A3, ANSI update American National Standard for Industrial Robots

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) recently published all three parts of the ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 American National Standard for Industrial Robots and Robot Systems - Safety Requirements.

This newly revised standard is now available for immediate purchase through A3, which the organization said marks the most significant advancement in industrial robot safety requirements in over a decade.

“This is more than a milestone in safety standardization. It’s a call to action,” said Jeff Burnstein, A3 president. “Publishing this safety standard is perhaps the most important thing A3 can do, as it directly impacts the safety of millions of people working in industrial environments around the world.”

New part for robot cell users

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 is a revision of ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012.

[Editor’s note: The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), which originally published the 2012 version of this standard, is now part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).]

This standard is available in protected PDF format and includes:

• Part 1: Safety requirements for industrial robots
• Part 2: Safety requirements for industrial robot applications and robot cells
• Part 3: Safety requirements for users of industrial robot cells

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 is the U.S. national adoption of ISO 10218, including ISO 10218-1:2025 third edition for part 1 and ISO 10218-2:2025 second edition for part 2. Part 3 is a new document.

Parts 1 and 2 were approved Aug. 21 and announced Sept. 9. Part 3 was approved Oct. 7 and all three parts were made available Oct. 29. Part 3 is retroactively provided at no additional cost to anyone who purchased the full standard between Sept. 9 and Oct. 29.

The revised edition of the ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 standard can be purchased globally through A3. Companies and professionals looking to stay compliant with the latest safety requirements can acquire the standard through the A3 Standards online store.

Clarified functional safety requirements and definitions

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 provides updated guidelines - emphasizing safe robot use, the importance of risk assessment, and establishing personnel safety.

Part 3 (R15.06-3-2025), “Use of Industrial Robot Cells,” was developed in the U.S. with input from corresponding standards development experts in Canada to provide guidance to users of industrial robot cells.

Enhancements in ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 include:

• Clarified functional safety requirements that improve usability and compliance for manufacturers and integrators
• Integrated guidance for cobot applications, consolidating ISO/TS 15066
• New content on end-effectors and manual load/unload procedures, derived from ISO/TR 20218-1 and ISO/TR 20218-2
• Updated robot classifications, with corresponding safety functions and test methodologies
• Cybersecurity guidance, now included as part of safety planning and implementation
• Refined terminology, including the replacement of “safety-rated monitored stop” with “monitored standstill” for broader technical accuracy

“This standard delivers clearer guidance, smarter classifications, and a roadmap for safety in the era of intelligent automation,” said Carole Franklin, A3 director of standards development for robotics. “It empowers manufacturers and integrators to design and deploy safer systems more confidently while supporting innovation without compromising human well-being.”

International Robot Safety Conference 2026 registration open

A3 hosted its annual International Robot Safety Conference (IRSC) Nov. 3-5, 2025 in Houston, Texas.

Registration is now open for IRSC 2026, which will be hosted Nov. 3-5, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.