A robot doesn't get a safety certificate that covers every job it might perform. The assessment starts with the robot, its tools, its software, the work area, and the people who may enter it. That matters when you're buying or deploying a robot because the same arm can be safe in one cell and unsafe in another.
- ISO 12100 sets out the risk assessment process.
- ISO 10218 covers industrial robot systems and integration.
- A certificate does not remove the need for site checks and operator training.
What the assessment covers
The process begins by defining the machine's intended use. That includes the payload, speed, reach, tool, materials, production rate, maintenance tasks, and people who may work near the robot. A palletizing arm with a vacuum tool presents different hazards from the same arm carrying a sharp gripper.
Engineers then identify hazards across the robot's life. They check normal production, setup, programming, cleaning, fault recovery, tool changes, and service work. A risk assessment should cover unexpected movement, crushing points, falling loads, sharp edges, stored energy, electrical hazards, and access to the work area.
ISO 12100 provides the broad method for this work. It asks the manufacturer or integrator to identify hazards, estimate risk, reduce that risk through design, and document the remaining risks. The order matters: a software limit is weaker than a design that prevents a person from reaching a moving part.
Which standards apply
ISO 10218-1 covers the robot itself, while ISO 10218-2 covers robot applications and integration. The second part matters to a factory because fencing, access doors, control systems, end effectors, and the layout are part of the finished work cell.
For robots designed to work near people, ISO/TS 15066 adds guidance for collaborative operation. It covers limits for force and pressure, along with methods such as speed and separation monitoring, hand guiding, and power-and-force limiting. Calling a robot collaborative still leaves the need for a task-specific risk assessment.
Safety-related control systems may fall under ISO 13849-1 or IEC 62061. These standards deal with control functions such as emergency stops, door interlocks, protective scanners, and reduced-speed modes. The required performance depends on the hazard and the risk calculation, not on the robot's marketing label.
The rules also depend on where the machine will operate. A company selling a machine in the European Economic Area may need to meet the Machinery Regulation and apply CE marking.
A US installation may involve OSHA rules, ANSI standards, electrical codes, and local inspection requirements. The machine's paperwork should state which rules and standards were used.
Certification, inspection, and compliance
People often use “certified” as if it has one fixed meaning. It doesn't. A manufacturer may declare that a machine meets selected standards, while an accredited third party may inspect the design and issue a certificate for a defined product or application.
That certificate has a scope. It may cover a robot model, a safety component, or a complete cell tested under stated conditions. Changing the gripper, software, speed, layout, or workpiece can change the risk assessment and require new checks.
A changed cell can fall outside that scope when its gripper, scanner, or software differs from the tested setup. Robot24 reports on named robots and deployments, giving you examples to compare with the certificate before the integrator checks each safety function.
Validation is the practical test of the safety functions. The integrator checks that a guard stops motion, a scanner detects entry at the required distance, an emergency stop removes the intended energy, and the robot returns to a known safe state after a fault. The results belong in the technical file or site safety record.
What the buyer should request
A supplier's safety folder should make the machine's limits clear. Ask for the risk assessment, declaration of conformity or incorporation, applied standards, safety-function data, operating instructions, test records, and maintenance requirements.
Check who owns the remaining work. The robot maker may supply the arm and controller, while an integrator builds the cell and a site team changes the production layout later. Each change can affect guarding, access, stopping distance, and safe operating modes.
I'd reject a purchase described as “certified” unless the supplier names the covered machine, task, standards, and responsible party.
A practical buyer checklist
Before signing off a robot cell, check that:
- The intended task lists loads, tools, speeds, modes, and people nearby.
- The risk assessment includes setup, cleaning, recovery, and maintenance.
- Guards, scanners, interlocks, and emergency stops have test results.
- The safety controls match the required performance level or SIL.
- The documents name the standards and legal rules used for the site.
- Changes to software, tooling, layout, and workpieces trigger a review.
The open question is often the final one: who will keep the assessment current after installation? If the answer is unclear, the certificate may describe yesterday's machine while the production cell runs something different tomorrow.
