New ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 American National Standard for Industrial Robot Safety Now Available for Purchase

U.S. adoption of ISO 10218 sets the benchmark for safer, smarter industrial robotics worldwide

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) proudly announces the publication of ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 American National Standard for Industrial Robots and Robot Systems – Safety Requirements. This newly revised standard is now available for immediate purchase through A3 and marks the most significant advancement in industrial robot safety requirements in over a decade.

“This is more than a milestone in safety standardization. It’s a call to action,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3. “Publishing this safety standard is perhaps the most important thing A3 can do, as it directly impacts the safety of millions of people working in industrial environments around the world.”

This standard is available in protected PDF format and includes:

• Part 1: Safety requirements for industrial robots
• Part 2: Safety requirements for industrial robot applications and robot cells

Part 3, which will address safety requirements for users of industrial robot cells, is expected to be published later this year. Once available, it will be retroactively provided at no additional cost to anyone who purchases the full standard now.

R15.06 is the U.S. national adoption of ISO 10218 Parts 1 and 2 and is a revision of ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012*.

Key Enhancements in ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025:

• Clarified functional safety requirements that improve usability and compliance for manufacturers and integrators
• Integrated guidance for collaborative robot applications, consolidating ISO/TS 15066
• New content on end-effectors and manual load/unload procedures, derived from ISO/TR 20218-1 and ISO/TR 20218-2
• Updated robot classifications, with corresponding safety functions and test methodologies
• Cybersecurity guidance, now included as part of safety planning and implementation
• Refined terminology, including the replacement of “safety-rated monitored stop” with “monitored standstill” for broader technical accuracy

“This standard delivers clearer guidance, smarter classifications, and a roadmap for safety in the era of intelligent automation,” said Carole Franklin, director of standards development, robotics at A3. “It empowers manufacturers and integrators to design and deploy safer systems more confidently while supporting innovation without compromising human well-being.”

Now Available for Purchase

Beginning today, the revised edition of the ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 standard can be purchased globally through A3. Companies and professionals looking to stay compliant with the latest safety requirements can acquire the standard through the A3 Standards online store. Pricing starts at $655 USD.

*The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), which originally published the 2012 version of this standard, is now part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

About Association for Advancing Automation (A3)

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) is the leading global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform the way business is done. Members of A3 represent over 1,400 manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups and consulting firms that drive automation forward worldwide.

A3 hosts a number of industry-leading events, including the Humanoid Robot Forum (September 23, 2025, in Seattle, WA), FOCUS: Intelligent Vision & Industrial AI Conference (September 24-25, 2025, in Seattle, WA), International Robot Safety Conference (November 3-5, 2025, in Houston, TX), the A3 Business Forum (January 19-21, 2026 in Orlando, FL), and Automate (June 22-25, 2026, in Chicago, IL).