A long-awaited update to US robot safety guidance is now complete, with the release of a new section that shifts attention from robot design to how industrial robots are used day to day.
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has announced the availability of Part 3 of the ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 robot safety standard, rounding out a three-part framework that defines safety requirements for industrial robots and robot systems in the United States.
The newly released section focuses specifically on the use of industrial robot cells – an area that has historically received less formal guidance than robot design or system integration.
From robots to real-world use
While Parts 1 and 2 of the standard align closely with the international ISO 10218 framework – covering robot hardware and robot applications – Part 3 is different.
It was developed in the United States to address a gap left by international standards: what users must do to keep robot cells safe once they are installed and running.
In practice, that means guidance aimed squarely at manufacturers, integrators, and end users responsible for operating robot cells, rather than the companies that build the robots themselves.
According to A3, the three documents are intended to be used together to support safe robot manufacture, system integration, and on-site operation, with a strong emphasis on risk assessment and worker protection.
Why Part 3 matters
Industrial robots are increasingly deployed in flexible, high-mix environments where layouts change, people and robots share space, and automation is continually modified. Safety risks often emerge not from the robot itself, but from how it is used, reconfigured, or maintained over time.
Part 3 addresses this reality by outlining safety responsibilities for robot cell users, including operational procedures, risk management, and ongoing safety practices.
Because ISO standards do not cover user-level requirements in detail, Part 3 was developed domestically, with input from standards experts in both the United States and Canada.
One standard, three parts
The complete standard is published under a single cover and includes:
- Part 1: Safety requirements for industrial robots
- Part 2: Safety requirements for robot applications and robot cells
- Part 3: Safety requirements for the use of industrial robot cells
All three parts are now available as a downloadable PDF through A3’s online store.
A growing focus on operational safety
The release reflects a broader shift in industrial automation, where responsibility for robot safety increasingly extends beyond equipment suppliers to those operating automated systems on the factory floor.
As robot adoption accelerates across manufacturing, logistics, and processing industries, clearer guidance on safe operation is becoming as important as technical safeguards built into the machines themselves.
