Key takeaways
- AMR safety covers the robot, its integration into the site and how people work around it.
- ISO 3691-4 is the main international standard for driverless industrial trucks, including AMRs and autonomous forklifts.
- In North America, ANSI/A3 R15.08 and ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 are the usual references.
- Safety functions should reach a stated performance level under ISO 13849-1, using certified safety scanners.
- A site risk assessment is needed before go-live and after every significant change.
Why AMR safety is a system question
A mobile robot is only one part of a safe installation. Safety also depends on how routes, speed zones and stations are configured, how doors, lifts and conveyors are interlocked, and how people are trained to work around the robots.
The standards reflect this. Some set requirements for the robot manufacturer, some for whoever integrates the robots into a site, and some for the company that operates them. Before you compare suppliers, it helps to know which standard covers which part.
ISO 3691-4: the main international standard
ISO 3691-4, published in 2020, sets safety requirements and verification methods for driverless industrial trucks and their systems. It covers AGVs, AMRs, autonomous forklifts and similar vehicles that carry or tow loads without a driver.
It addresses the hazards that matter most around people:
- Detecting people in the travel path and slowing or stopping in time, including at the sides and when turning.
- Speed limits matched to the protective fields of the sensors and to the area the vehicle drives in.
- Load handling, stability and braking, including on slopes and with the heaviest permitted load.
- Emergency stops, warning lights and sounds, and safe behavior when a fault occurs.
- Operating zones, such as restricted areas and areas shared with people, and what the site must do in each one.
- Information for use: what the manufacturer must tell the integrator and the operator.
ANSI/A3 R15.08 and B56.5 in North America
In North America, the main references are the ANSI/A3 R15.08 series for industrial mobile robots and ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 for driverless guided industrial vehicles. R15.08 was developed by the Robotic Industries Association, now part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).
R15.08 is split into parts. Part 1 sets requirements for the robot manufacturer. Part 2 sets requirements for integrating mobile robots into a site and for the resulting system. This split mirrors how responsibility is shared in a real project.
B56.5 has been used for guided vehicles for decades and is still common for autonomous forklifts and other load-carrying vehicles. Which standard a supplier refers to often depends on the vehicle type and the market it was designed for.
Functional safety: ISO 13849 and safety sensors
The parts of a robot that keep people safe, such as personnel detection, speed monitoring and emergency stops, are safety functions. ISO 13849-1 sets out how reliable each safety function must be, expressed as a performance level from PL a to PL e. IEC 62061 offers an alternative route based on safety integrity levels.
Personnel detection usually relies on safety laser scanners. These are tested to IEC 61496-3 and certified to a sensor type, typically Type 3 for this use. Ordinary navigation lidar is not a safety device on its own, even when it sees the same obstacles.
When a supplier says a robot is safe, ask which safety functions it has, which performance level each one reaches, and which certified components they rely on.
Europe: CE marking and the Machinery Regulation
In the European Union, mobile robots are machinery. Before they are placed on the market they need CE marking, a declaration of conformity and a technical file. ISO 3691-4 is the usual basis for showing that a driverless truck meets the essential safety requirements.
The new EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive from 20 January 2027. It adds explicit requirements for autonomous mobile machinery and for safety functions that depend on software. If you are buying robots for a European site now, ask suppliers how they are preparing for it.
Outside Europe and North America, many countries adopt ISO standards directly or base national standards on them. Your local rules decide what applies, so check them with the supplier and your safety officer early in the project.
What the site is responsible for
Even a fully compliant robot can be used unsafely. The integrator and the operating company carry their own duties, which usually include:
- A risk assessment of the whole installation, following ISO 12100 or local equivalents, before go-live and after every significant change.
- Defining zones: where robots may drive, where people and robots share space, and where access is restricted.
- Setting speeds and protective fields that suit each zone, aisle width and visibility.
- Interlocks with automatic doors, lifts, conveyors and fire doors.
- Floor markings and signs so that people know where robots drive and stop.
- Training for operators, maintenance staff and visitors, and clear rules for what to do when a robot stops.
- Keeping records of changes to maps, routes and safety settings.
Questions to ask any AMR supplier
Use these questions to compare proposals on safety, not only on price and throughput:
- Which standards does the robot comply with, and can you share the declaration of conformity?
- Which safety functions does it have, and what performance level does each one reach?
- Which safety scanners are used, and what type are they certified to?
- How do speed and protective fields change with load, direction and zone?
- How does the robot behave when communication with the dispatch system is lost?
- Who carries out the site risk assessment, and what documentation do we receive at handover?
- How are safety settings protected from unauthorized changes?
Frequently asked questions
Which safety standard applies to AMRs?
Internationally, ISO 3691-4 covers driverless industrial trucks, including AMRs. In North America, ANSI/A3 R15.08 covers industrial mobile robots and ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 covers driverless guided vehicles. Local rules decide which ones are mandatory at your site.
Is a certified robot automatically safe in our plant?
No. Compliance covers the robot as supplied. The installation also needs a site risk assessment, suitable zones and speeds, interlocks with doors and lifts, and trained staff.
Can AMRs work in the same aisles as people?
Yes, if the risk assessment allows it for that area. The robots detect people with safety scanners and slow down or stop, and speeds are set per zone. Some areas may still be better as robot-only lanes.
What changes with the EU Machinery Regulation in 2027?
From 20 January 2027, Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive. It adds explicit requirements for autonomous mobile machinery and software-based safety functions, so ask suppliers how their robots and documentation will meet it.