Which AMR safety standard applies depends on where the robot runs and who you are. In Europe the main one is ISO 3691-4:2023 (as EN ISO 3691-4), which covers driverless industrial trucks, AMRs included, and is harmonised under the Machinery Directive. In the US, robot makers, integrators and users follow the three parts of ANSI/A3 R15.08 for industrial mobile robots, and ANSI/ITSDF B56.5-2024 covers AGVs and the automated functions of manned trucks. OSHA has no robot-specific rule; these are voluntary consensus standards that buyers, insurers and courts use as the benchmark. UL 3100 adds electrical, fire and battery safety for the platform itself.
AMR safety standards at a glance
| Standard | Who it is written for | What it covers | Current edition | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 3691-4 | Truck makers and system suppliers, mainly EU | Driverless industrial trucks and their systems: AGVs, AMRs, tunnel tuggers, under-cart robots | 2023 (revision in draft) | CHF 204 |
| ANSI/RIA R15.08-1 | Mobile robot manufacturers, US | Design of the industrial mobile robot for a documented operating environment | 2020, reaffirmed 2026 | $190 A3 members, $225 others |
| ANSI/A3 R15.08-2 | Integrators | Putting a robot or fleet into a site, including workstations and chargers | 2023 | $190 / $225 (printed) |
| ANSI/A3 R15.08-3 | End users | Risk assessment, management of change, training, inspections | 2026 | $165 (PDF) |
| ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 | AGV makers and users, US | Driverless guided vehicles and automated functions of manned trucks | 2024 (replaces 2019) | Not confirmed |
| UL 3100 | Platform makers, North America | Fire, shock, batteries, object detection and functional safety of automated mobile platforms | 2021; ANSI/CAN/UL 3100:2025 listed | Not confirmed |
A3 also sells all three R15.08 parts as a bundle for $468 to members and $550 to others. Prices were checked on the publishers’ stores on October 24, 2026.
What ISO 3691-4 asks of a driverless truck
ISO 3691-4:2023 (second edition, June 2023) replaced the 2020 edition and, before that, Europe’s EN 1525. It covers the truck and its control, guidance and power systems, and excludes trucks guided only mechanically, remote-controlled trucks and vehicles on public roads. ISO has marked it “to be revised”, and a draft (ISO/DIS 3691-4) is in progress.
- Zones. The site is split into operating zones and operating hazard zones, with a confined zone added in the 2020 edition; Annex A covers how to prepare them.
- Stopping before contact. The truck must stop before any rigid part of the truck or load touches a stationary person, according to TÜV Rheinland’s summary of the 2020 edition.
- Safety performance levels. The same TÜV summary lists required performance level PL d for personnel detection and braking control and PL b for the parking brake, among 27 safety functions. PL here refers to ISO 13849-1.
- 2023 changes. Pilz notes new conditions for higher speeds in restricted zones, detailed rules for the active detection field and operational stop, and maximum distances between emergency stops.
In the EU, EN ISO 3691-4:2023 was added to the Machinery Directive’s harmonised list by Decision (EU) 2024/1329, so following it gives a presumption of conformity. The new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the directive from 20 January 2027; check whether a supplier’s declaration already references the regulation. For countries outside the EU, ISO/TS 3691-8 lists regional requirements for the same truck types.
How ANSI/A3 R15.08 splits the job
R15.08 gives each party its own part. Part 1 is the manufacturer’s: it was reaffirmed in April 2026 with no technical changes from 2020. Part 2 (2023) is for whoever integrates the robot into a site. Part 3, published in 2026, is for the user and covers risk assessment, management of change, training and periodic inspection. Part 1 also defines three robot types, as A3 explains:
- Type A: the mobile platform alone.
- Type B: a Type A platform with an attachment that isn’t a robot arm, such as a conveyor top, lift or tow hitch.
- Type C: a mobile manipulator, an industrial robot arm on a mobile platform or AGV.
The type matters when you buy: a Type B or C robot needs its attachment covered in the risk assessment, and arm safety on a moving base falls outside ISO 10218-1:2025, which excludes mobility on mobile platforms.
Where B56.5 and UL 3100 fit
ANSI/ITSDF B56.5-2024 covers powered, unmanned guided vehicles and the automated functions of manned or retrofitted trucks, which makes it the usual reference for AGVs, automated forklifts and tow tractors in the US. The 2024 revision changed training, drawbar-pull testing and serial-number rules. UL 3100 covers battery-powered platforms that lift, carry, pick or tow, and leaves industrial robots, AGVs, fork trucks and people-carriers to other standards.
The sensors and control logic carry their own standards: ISO 13849-1:2023 for the safety-related control parts and IEC 61496-3 (edition 4, 2025) for the safety laser scanners that create the protective field.
What AMR makers state on their own pages
- Seegrid says its lidar suite exceeds ANSI B56.5 and ANSI R15.08.
- Vecna lists ISO 13849-1 PL d, ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 and RIA R15.08 for its autonomous tugger.
- MiR had 13 safety functions on the MiR600 and MiR1350 certified by TÜV Rheinland to ISO 13849-1 in 2023, and says the MiR1200 Pallet Jack is designed to comply with ISO 3691-4.
- Hyster and Yale tow tractors cite B56.5-2012 and the older ISO 3691-4:2020; see our autonomous tugger comparison.
“Designed to comply”, “self-declared” and “third-party certified” are different claims. Ask for the certificate or test report and the edition it covers.
Safety questions for an AMR quote
- Which standards and editions the robot meets, and whether a third party assessed it
- Which safety functions have a stated performance level, and what level
- Whether the robot is Type A, B or C under R15.08, and who covers the attachment in the risk assessment
- Who configures and validates the scanner fields and speed zones on your site
- Who performs and signs the site risk assessment (integrator under R15.08-2, user under R15.08-3)
- For EU sites, the declaration of conformity and whether it references the 2027 Machinery Regulation
For the difference between route-following AGVs and free-navigating AMRs, see our AMR vs AGV guide; for vendors, our AMR company comparison and autonomous forklift comparison. OSHA lists the consensus standards it points employers to.
For the AGV types these standards cover and how each is guided, see AGV robot types, guidance methods and prices.
ISO, A3, ANSI, UL and maker pages checked October 24, 2026.