OSHA Industrial Robot Safety (29 CFR § 1910.212 and Technical Manual Chapter 4)
United States · 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1); 29 C.F.R. § 1910.212
OSHA does not have a robot-specific standard, but uses its general machine-guarding rule and the General Duty Clause to require employers to protect workers from industrial robots. Its Technical Manual Chapter 4 incorporates the ANSI/RIA R15.06 robot safety standard as the de facto benchmark for guarding, presence-sensing, and lockout/tagout around robotic cells and collaborative robots ('cobots').
Technical detail
29 C.F.R. § 1910.212 (general machine guarding); OSH Act § 5(a)(1) general duty clause, 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1); OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) Section IV, Chapter 4 'Industrial Robots and Robot System Safety' incorporates ANSI/RIA R15.06 and ISO 10218-1/-2.
Who is protected: Workers operating, maintaining, or working alongside industrial robots and cobots
Who must comply: U.S. employers using industrial robots or robotic systems
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | United States |
|---|---|
| Level | Federal |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 1971-04-28 |
| Enacted | 1970-12-29 |
| Citation | 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1); 29 C.F.R. § 1910.212 |
| Enforced by | Occupational Safety and Health Administration |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | OSHA civil penalties up to $16,550 per serious violation; up to $165,514 per willful/repeated violation (2025 levels) |
| Topics | AI hiring and employment · consumer protection |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | OSHA Technical Manual Section IV, Chapter 4 — Industrial Robots and Robot System Safety ↗ |
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