ISO 10218-1-2025 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 10218-1:2025 — Robotics — Safety requirements — Part 1: Industrial robots. This International Standard specifies safety requirements for the inherently safe design, risk reduction measures and information for use of industrial robots (the robot as an incomplete machine).

Abstract

ISO 10218-1:2025 provides requirements that manufacturers and designers of industrial robots must meet to reduce risk during manufacture, commissioning and intended use. The standard focuses on the robot itself (as an incomplete machine), covering design measures, guarding and information for use; integration and application-level hazards are addressed in Part 2.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: 5 February 2025.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 25.040.30 (Industrial robots — manipulators); commonly associated with safety of machinery classifications.
• Edition / version: Edition 3 (2025).
• Number of pages: 95 (official ISO catalogue entry).

Scope

Specifies requirements for the inherently safe design, risk reduction measures and information for use of industrial robots intended for an industrial environment. The document addresses the robot as an incomplete machine and excludes certain uses (for example underwater, law-enforcement, military, airborne/space, medical and many service/consumer applications); hazards introduced by robot applications (welding, laser cutting, machining, etc.) are addressed via ISO 10218-2:2025 and application-specific standards.

Key topics and requirements

• Requirements for inherently safe mechanical, electrical and control design (to minimise risks at source).
• Risk assessment and risk-reduction process and documentation expected from manufacturers.
• Protective measures and safeguarding provisions (physical guards, protective stops, emergency stop functions).
• Requirements for control systems, functional safety and validated safety-related functions.
• Information for use: marking, instructions, care for safe installation, commissioning, maintenance and decommissioning.
• Explicit exclusions and limits of applicability for certain environments and applications.

Typical use and users

Primary users are industrial-robot manufacturers, machine builders, system integrators, safety engineers, conformity assessment bodies and occupational safety professionals. The standard is used to design robots to meet international safety expectations, to prepare technical documentation, and as a reference in procurement and conformity assessments.

Related standards

Key related documents include ISO 10218-2:2025 (Safety requirements for robot applications and robot cells), ISO/TS 15066 (guidance for collaborative robot applications, now consolidated into recent revisions and adoptions), and national adoptions such as ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 (U.S. adoption covering Parts 1 and 2). Regional/European versions (EN ISO 10218-1:2025 and related national adoptions) are also available.

Keywords

industrial robot, robotics, robot safety, risk assessment, functional safety, safeguarding, ISO 10218, robot design, integration (Part 2).

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 10218-1:2025 is an international standard that sets safety requirements for industrial robots themselves (the robot as an incomplete machine), addressing design, risk-reduction and information for use.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers inherently safe design measures, required protective and control functions, risk assessment procedures, and the safety-related information manufacturers must provide; it does not cover robot applications and system integration (these topics are covered by ISO 10218-2:2025).

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Robot manufacturers, safety engineers, integrators, testing and certification bodies, and purchasing/specification teams use this standard to design, evaluate and document robot safety.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 10218-1:2025 is the current (published) edition and supersedes ISO 10218-1:2011; the 2011 edition was withdrawn when the 2025 edition was published.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 1 of the ISO 10218 series. Part 2 (ISO 10218-2:2025) covers robot integration, applications and robot cells; additional related guidance (for collaborative robots) is available in ISO/TS 15066 and national adoptions.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Industrial robot, safety requirements, risk reduction, safeguarding, functional safety, robot design, ISO 10218.