Why Safety Standards Matter?
Every year, hundreds of work-related robot incidents are recorded globally. Industrial robots operate with huge force and speed — a 6-axis robot arm can generate impact force of hundreds of Newtons, sufficient to cause serious injury.
Safety standards aren't just legal requirements but prerequisites for robots to be accepted in factories, especially when working near humans.
ISO 10218: Industrial Robots
ISO 10218 consists of 2 parts, foundational standards for robot safety:
Part 1 — Robots (ISO 10218-1:2011)
Requirements for robot manufacturers:
- Emergency stop: Each robot must have emergency stop, stopping within < 500ms
- Speed monitoring: Continuous speed monitoring, auto-stop when threshold exceeded
- Force limiting: Limit force at end-effector and each joint
- Protective stop: Stop when sensor detects person
- Safety-rated software: Control software must achieve SIL 2 or PL d, typically integrated in Siemens S7-1200 PLC
Part 2 — Robot Systems (ISO 10218-2:2011)
Requirements for system integrators:
- Risk assessment: Mandatory risk assessment before installation
- Safeguarding: Protective fences, light curtains, safety laser scanner combined with LiDAR
- Layout design: Minimum safe distance between robot and personnel
- Validation: System verification and validation after installation
ISO/TS 15066: Collaborative Robots (Cobots)
This is the most important standard for collaborative robots — robots working directly with humans without protective barriers.
4 Collaborative Operating Modes
1. Safety-rated Monitored Stop
Robot stops completely when person enters work area, resumes when person leaves.
Person enters area → Robot stops → Person operates → Person exits → Robot resumes
2. Hand Guiding
Person directly guides robot to desired position. Robot operates in gravity compensation mode — feels weightless like floating in air.
3. Speed and Separation Monitoring
Robot slows when person approaches, stops when too close:
| Distance | Robot Speed |
|---|---|
| > 1.5m | 100% (maximum) |
| 1.0 - 1.5m | 50% |
| 0.5 - 1.0m | 25% |
| < 0.5m | Stop |
Uses safety laser scanner (SICK microScan3, Keyence SZ) for real-time distance measurement.
4. Power and Force Limiting (PFL)
Most common cobot mode. Robots are designed to limit impact force at safe level for humans.
Force and Pressure Limits (ISO/TS 15066)
| Body Area | Maximum Force (N) | Maximum Pressure (N/cm²) |
|---|---|---|
| Head/Forehead | 130 | 130 |
| Face | 65 | 110 |
| Neck | 150 | 50 |
| Chest | 140 | 120 |
| Abdomen | 110 | 90 |
| Hand | 140 | 180 |
| Arm | 150 | 160 |
Risk Assessment Process
Each robot application requires separate risk assessment:
1. Identify Hazards
- Mechanical impact (collision, crushing, shearing)
- Trapping, entanglement
- Electrical, thermal, chemical hazards from end-effector
2. Assess Risk Level
Risk = Severity × Probability × Avoidance Ability
3. Risk Mitigation (Priority Order)
- Safe design: Remove sharp edges, reduce moving part weight
- Protective measures: Sensors, light curtains, safety PLC
- Warnings: Lights, alarms, signage
- Training: Train personnel for operation
Application in Vietnam
Vietnam currently has no separate TCVN standard for robot safety, but FDI factories (Samsung, Toyota, Foxconn) require ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 compliance. When integrating cobot in Vietnamese enterprise:
- Reference ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 as baseline
- Conduct risk assessment for each specific application
- Maintain risk assessment records — required during audit
- Train operation and maintenance staff
Safety is not optional — it's the foundation for robots to be widely accepted in Vietnamese factories. Understanding and properly applying ISO standards helps you deploy robots confidently and professionally.
