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ISO 10218

ISO 10218 is the key international safety standard for industrial robots and robot cells. It defines how robots must be designed and integrated so humans can work around them with acceptable risk.

Scope and structure

  1. Title: “Robotics — Safety requirements.” It is split into two main parts:
  2. ISO 10218‑1: Industrial robots — requirements for the robot manufacturer (robot + controller viewed as partly completed machinery).ISO 10218‑2: Industrial robot applications and robot cells — requirements for system integrators and cell designers.amdmachines+1
  3. Role: It is the foundational safety standard for industrial robots globally and is the basis for national adoptions like ANSI/A3 R15.06 in the U.S.

ISO 10218‑1 (robot manufacturers)

Focuses on the robot as delivered by the OEM:
  1. Inherently safe design: limits, stops, mechanical robustness, prevention of foreseeable misuse where possible.
  2. Protective measures and information for use: required safety functions, warnings, manuals, markings.
  3. Functional safety requirements: explicit performance requirements for safety‑related control parts (emergency stop, safe torque off, safety‑rated monitored stop, speed and space limits, etc.), tied to ISO 13849‑1 / IEC 62061.
  4. Newer editions (2025): add robot classification (Class I / II) with corresponding test methods, and include collaborative‑robot safety content that used to sit in ISO/TS 15066, plus cybersecurity requirements where they affect safety.

ISO 10218‑2 (systems and cells)

Focuses on the integrated application:
  1. System‑level risk assessment: follow ISO 12100 across all life‑cycle phases (installation, production, maintenance, decommissioning).
  2. Cell safeguarding: design of guards, interlocks, presence‑sensing, safety distances, and modes (automatic, manual, setup, maintenance).
  3. Collaborative applications: details on allowed collaborative modes (safety‑rated monitored stop, hand‑guiding, speed and separation monitoring, power and force limiting) and how to validate them.
  4. Verification and validation: check stopping distances, safety sensor coverage, interlocks, safety PLC logic, and document tests before production.

Relationship to R15.06 and R15.08

  1. In the U.S., R15.06 is effectively the national implementation of ISO 10218; complying with ISO 10218 usually means you’re aligned with R15.06 as well.
  2. For mobile manipulators (R15.08 Type C), the arm is expected to meet ISO 10218 / R15.06, while the mobile base and system behavior are handled under R15.08 and (where truck‑like) ISO 3691‑4.automate+4


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Contents Scope and structure ISO 10218‑1 (robot manufacturers) ISO 10218‑2 (systems and cells) Relationship to R15.06 and R15.08