New Robot Safety Rules for the USA

The United States has introduced updated industrial robot safety rules through a new national standard developed by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).This standard, known as ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025, is structured in three parts and provides comprehensive safety guidelines for industrial robots and robot systems.

Parts 1 and 2 align with international standards (ISO 10218) and cover the safe design of robots themselves plus their integration into applications and robot cells.The key new element is Part 3, which specifically addresses the use of industrial robot cells on the factory floor.

Unlike earlier approaches that focused mainly on robot design and initial setup, this section shifts responsibility toward end users (such as manufacturers and operators). It emphasizes practical, real-world safety based on how robots are actually deployed, operated, reconfigured, and maintained in dynamic environments—where layouts change, production mixes vary, and humans often work near or alongside robots.

Part 3 requires ongoing risk assessments tailored to on-site conditions, clear operational procedures, effective risk management, and continuous worker protection measures. This fills a gap left by international standards, which do not provide detailed guidance for day-to-day user responsibilities.

Overall, the update reflects growing robot use in flexible manufacturing and aims to reduce risks and injuries by ensuring safety practices adapt to real factory-floor realities, extending accountability beyond suppliers and integrators to those running the systems.

Citation: Robotics and Automation News, "New US robot safety rules focus on how robots are actually used on the factory floor," January 30, 2026.