ISO 10218 is the international standard that sets safety requirements for industrial robots and the systems built around them. In robot safety it is the central type C standard for robotics: Part 1 addresses the robot itself and is written for manufacturers, while Part 2 addresses robot applications and robot cells and is written for integrators and users.
The standard was first published in 1992, substantially revised in 2006 and 2011, and revised again in 2025. Its requirements are widely adopted as regional standards, for example as EN ISO 10218 in Europe, where compliance gives a presumption of conformity with machinery legislation, and through the ANSI/A3 R15.06 adoption in North America.
How ISO 10218 divides responsibility
ISO 10218 splits obligations according to who controls which hazard. A robot manufacturer cannot know the gripper, the workpiece or the layout, so Part 1 covers what is built into the arm and controller, and Part 2 covers everything the integrator adds to create a safe working application.
| Part | Main audience | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 10218-1 | Robot manufacturers | Stop functions, speed limits, enabling device, safety-related control performance |
| ISO 10218-2 | Integrators and users | Cell layout, safeguarding, risk assessment, validation, information for use |
| ISO/TS 15066 | Designers of collaborative applications | Body-region force and pressure guidance, now largely absorbed into the 2025 parts |
The two parts work as a pair. A robot certified to Part 1 is only a partly completed machine; the finished cell becomes safe only when the integrator performs the risk assessment and safeguarding required by Part 2.
Key safety requirements and parameters
Part 1 defines a set of mandatory safety functions that every industrial robot must provide. The values below are the classic reference figures; the 2025 edition refines several of them and lets the risk assessment justify alternatives.
| Function | Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency stop | Stop category 0 or 1, overrides all other functions | Halt motion in an emergency |
| Protective stop | Category 0, 1 or 2, triggered by safeguards | Stop safely when a guard or sensor acts |
| Reduced speed | TCP speed not above 250 mm/s in manual mode | Give the operator time to react |
| Enabling device | Three-position switch on the teach pendant | Motion only while held in the middle position |
| Safety-related control | Typically PL d, Category 3 or SIL 2 | Ensure reliable safety functions |
| Axis and space limiting | Mechanical or safety-rated soft limits | Restrict the robot’s reach |
The performance level references link ISO 10218 to the functional safety standards ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061. Stop categories come from IEC 60204-1: category 0 removes power immediately, category 1 brakes under control and then removes power, and category 2 stops under control while keeping power applied.
Collaborative operation under ISO 10218
ISO 10218 recognizes that people and robots may share a workspace when specific collaborative methods limit the risk. The standard treats collaboration as a property of the application, not of the robot, so a so-called collaborative robot does not make a cell safe by itself.
| Method | Principle | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Safety-rated monitored stop | Robot stops while a person is in the shared zone | Manual loading of a fixture |
| Hand guiding | Operator moves the robot through a guiding device | Positioning heavy parts, teaching |
| Speed and separation monitoring | Speed falls as the person approaches | Shared aisles, larger robots |
| Power and force limiting | Contact forces kept below body-region limits | Assembly beside a worker |
Power and force limiting relies on the biomechanical thresholds first published in ISO/TS 15066. The 2025 revision integrates much of that guidance into Parts 1 and 2, so designers now find collaborative requirements in one standard family.
What changed in the 2025 revision
The 2025 edition modernizes the standard without changing its two-part structure. Its main effect is to make requirements clearer and more testable for manufacturers and integrators.
- Functional safety requirements are stated more explicitly, with clearer links to required performance levels.
- Collaborative application content from ISO/TS 15066 is incorporated into the main parts.
- Robot classification differentiates requirements according to the hazard potential of the robot.
- Cybersecurity is addressed where security threats could compromise safety functions.
- Terminology shifts from collaborative robots toward collaborative applications.
Existing cells built to the 2011 edition are not automatically noncompliant, but new designs and major modifications should follow the current edition, subject to the transition rules of the relevant regulation. In the European Union this matters because the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive, and harmonized editions of the standard are the usual route to demonstrating conformity.
Applying ISO 10218 in practice and common mistakes
Compliance with ISO 10218 is a documented engineering process, not a label. The integrator identifies hazards, selects safeguards, verifies safety functions and records the evidence in the technical file.
| Mistake | Consequence | Correct approach |
|---|---|---|
| Treating a cobot as inherently safe | Sharp tools or payloads exceed force limits | Assess the complete application |
| Skipping Part 2 risk assessment | Unidentified hazards remain | Run a structured assessment per ISO 12100 |
| Wrong safety distance | Person reaches the hazard before stop | Calculate distance per ISO 13855 |
| Unvalidated safety configuration | Soft limits silently changed | Verify, checksum and lock parameters |
| Bypassing guards for maintenance | Exposure during setup and repair | Provide safe modes and lockout |
A sound workflow starts with the risk assessment, chooses the collaborative method or fencing concept, calculates safety distances, and ends with validation tests such as stop-time measurement and force measurement at defined contact points.
In simple terms
ISO 10218 is the rulebook for keeping people safe around industrial robots. One half tells robot makers what safety features every robot must have, such as an emergency stop and a slow speed for setup work.
The other half is for the people who install robots in factories. It explains how to build a safe work area with fences, sensors or limits on force. A safe robot is like a car with good brakes. The brakes help, but the road and the driver still matter. That is why the whole installation must be checked.
A practical example
An automotive supplier wants a robot to screw brackets onto parts while a worker places the next part in a shared fixture. The integrator selects a robot whose controller meets ISO 10218-1 and then performs the Part 2 risk assessment for the whole station, including the screwdriver bit and the clamp.
The assessment shows that the screwdriver could press a hand against the fixture, so the team combines power and force limiting with a laser scanner that reduces speed when the worker approaches. Force measurements at contact points confirm values below the body-region limits, and the validated station enters production without a full fence, saving floor space while keeping documented safety evidence.