The US industry association A3 (Association for Advancing Automation) has published part 3 of the ANSI/A3 R15.08 standard series, the last of three parts that together set out the safety requirements for industrial mobile robots (IMRs). Trade publication ISHN reported this on 28 October 2026. With this final part, the three-part series is now complete, giving companies that deploy mobile robots on the shop floor a full American standards framework covering the entire lifecycle of such an application.
Final piece in a three-part standard series
R15.08 consists of three parts. Part 1 sets safety requirements for the mobile robots themselves, part 2 for the broader IMR systems and applications, and the newly published part 3 focuses specifically on the responsibilities of the user organization during daily operation. The full title is “American National Standard for Industrial Mobile Robots, Safety Requirements, Part 3: Use of IMR Applications”, issued as ANSI/A3 R15.08-3-2026. The document can be purchased as a standalone PDF or as part of the complete package with all three parts, through A3’s online store (automate.org).
Risk assessment, change management and training
Part 3 gives users concrete requirements and guidelines for keeping risk acceptable during daily operation and across the entire lifecycle of the application. This includes carrying out risk assessments, managing changes to an existing installation (change management), training employees who work with or near mobile robots, and periodically reassessing and inspecting the application. Part 3 was also developed in coordination with part 3 of the related standard R15.06 for fixed industrial robots, so that companies can follow one consistent approach for both fixed and mobile robot systems at the same site.
Context
R15.08 is an American standard, but the underlying risks — collisions between people and autonomous vehicles, unexpected movements after software updates, insufficient operator training — occur wherever companies deploy automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Internationally, the best-known counterpart is ISO 3691-4, the ISO standard for driverless industrial trucks (AGVs) and their systems. That standard appeared in 2020 and serves in Europe as a harmonized Type C standard under the Machinery Directive, although compliance with it does not automatically mean full conformity with that directive. Where ISO 3691-4 mainly sets requirements and verification methods for the vehicle and its systems, the American R15.08 part 3 places more emphasis on the user organization’s responsibilities after installation: risk assessment, change management and training. For international companies with locations in both the United States and Europe, this means both standards frameworks can be relevant side by side: ISO 3691-4 for vehicle conformity within the EU, and R15.08 for American locations that want to underpin their operational practice. A3 also emphasizes the importance of robot safety at upcoming events, such as the International Robot Safety Conference, held from 3 to 5 November 2026 in Detroit (Michigan, USA).
Source: New R15.08 Part 3 safety standard for industrial mobile robot users now available, 28 October 2026
Also researched: Association for Advancing Automation (A3) via AutomationWorld.com, “New ANSI Standard Completes Industrial Mobile Robot Safety Series”; TÜV/ControlEng.com background on ISO 3691-4:2020 for automated guided vehicles (AGVs)
