Behind the ISO 10218 series safety standards updates in 2025: understanding the real-world shifts in industrial robot technology that drove the revisions (article 2 of 2)

Many people had been watching and waiting for the revisions to ISO 10218 series of international safety standards earlier in 2025.

They’d waited a long time – the wide-ranging updates to both ISO 10218-1 and ISO 10218-2 took experts from more than 20 countries nearly 8 years to complete.

We covered these substantial revisions and their implications in our white paper – this series of articles takes an even closer look at the many reasons behind them.

You can read our first article here.

Contents:

• Technology has changed

• Industrial robots have changed

• The requirements for industrial robots have changed

• The way we use industrial robots has changed

• The way we talk about industrial robots has changed

• IDEC is making changes

Users can take note of the different requirements for Class I, but in industrial environments it’s fair to say that Class II robots are more common. It’s estimated that global demand for robots at factories doubled between 2014 and 2024.

Industrial robots have transformed manufacturing and other industrial processes. They made such a difference that many people started to wonder, “will a robot take my job?”

In many cases, workplaces are taking a hybrid approach known as ‘Collaborative Safety’. Humans and machines coexist safely, working together (collaborating) to get the job done.

As collaborative robots (cobots) grew in popularity and potential, the ISO 10218-1:2011 and ISO 10218-2:2011 requirements no longer covered the full scope of their implementation and use. In 2016, the ISO/TS 15066 Technical Specification was issued to bridge the gap.

ISO/TS 15066 (Robots and robotic devices – Collaborative robots) acted as a supplement to the ISO 10218 series, building on the core safety standards laid out in parts 1 and 2. It focused on the specific safety requirements for collaborative robots and their work environments.

With the 2025 revisions, the requirements outlined in ISO/TS 10566 are now part of the ISO 10218 series. This change consolidates all of the safety requirements for collaborative robots into 1 set of standards, for simpler understanding and compliance.

When the 2025 revisions to ISO 10218 were announced, the fact that the requirements for safety functions are now explicitly stated – not just implied – made headlines.

These wording changes are designed to make requirements clearer, helping to simplify the route to compliance for manufacturers, integrators and other stakeholders.

The other newsworthy change is that the term “collaborative robots” is no longer used. ISO 10218 now makes no distinction between industrial robots and collaborative robots.

Instead, it discusses collaborative applications: “an application that contains one or more collaborative tasks.” A collaborative task is further defined as a “portion of the robot sequence where both the robot application and operator(s) are within the same safeguarded space.”

According to the new standards, human-robot collaboration applies to the application (the intended use and purpose), not just to the robot(s). As such, only the application can be confirmed and approved as ‘collaborative’.

In the updated terms and definitions, a full industrial robot application is now a machine comprising:

• the industrial robot system

• the workpieces

• the task program

• machinery and equipment that supports the application and intended tasks

An industrial robot system is further defined as “an industrial robot, end-effector(s), and any end-effector sensors and equipment needed to support the end-effector(s).”

There are further definitions of “industrial robots”, “end-effectors”, “task programs” and “applications”, so we recommend reading the revised ISO 10218 series in full.

These wording changes help readers to clarify the definition of a collaborative application, making it easier to comply with the relevant safety standards and requirements. Compliance is important from start to finish – ISO 10218-2:2025 provides a clear opportunity for industrial robot users to ramp up their safety measures and make sure systems are integrated and efficient.

Global standards and uniform requirements for industrial safety benefit everyone. Regular updates and revisions to international safety standards reflect the latest developments and technologies, and keep all users on the same page when it comes to compliance.

IDEC is proud to be actively involved in international standardization, including the development of ISO standards for the use of industrial robots.

Download our white paper on the revisions to ISO 10218.

To learn more about ISO international safety standards and compliance, revisit our article series:

• How ISO-compliant equipment, devices and systems enhance and assure long-term industrial safety (part 1)

• How ISO-compliant equipment, devices and systems enhance and assure long-term industrial safety (part 2)