The Automation Journey Episode 6

Mobile robot standards are multiplying faster than most operations teams can track them. Your RFP lists every AGV and AMR safety standard under the sun, but does anyone on your team actually know which ones apply, or why? Between ANSI B56.5, R15.08, ISO 3691-4 and the forthcoming ISO 26058, it’s easy to end up compliant on paper and exposed in practice. Chris Soranno is Manager of International Safety Standards at SICK Sensor Intelligence and chairman of the ANSI Industrial Robot Subcommittee on Industrial Mobile Robot Safety. He’s a TÜV Rheinland certified Functional Safety Expert, sits on ISO’s committee revising ISO 11161, and was inducted into the ANSI B11 Standards Hall of Fame for his work on machinery safety standards. Few people alive can explain not just what these standards say, but why. This episode gives you a clear way to tell which standard applies to your AGV, AMR, or IMR deployment, and where the gray areas actually sit. Chris walks through the difference between North American and international approaches to responsibility, and why that distinction changes what your risk assessment needs to cover. You’ll hear how R15.08 was built to close the gap between mobile bases and robotic arms, why B56.5 still governs anything with forks, and what’s changing now that R15.08 Part 3 has finally been published for end users. Colin and Chris also cover robots-as-a-service, reprogramming AMRs on the fly, and the honest risks of using AI to interpret safety standards. This is for operations directors, safety leaders, and procurement managers writing their next automation RFP. If you’ve ever handed a vendor a checklist of standards without knowing why they’re on it, this conversation is for you. Key Takeaways

• The real gray area in mobile automation safety often isn’t the “what,” it’s the “who.” North American and international standards assign responsibility to different stakeholders, and getting that wrong can leave gaps nobody’s covering.
• Whether ANSI B56.5 or R15.08 applies to your AGV or AMR isn’t always as simple as “does it have forks.” Chris explains the nuance procurement teams miss when they just tick standards off an RFP checklist.
• Reprogramming a scanner or changing a payload on your AMR can quietly turn you from an end user into an integrator, with a completely different set of safety obligations you need to meet.
• Running a safety standard through AI to save time carries real risk. Chris has seen cases where the output doesn’t match what the standard’s authors actually intended, plus a copyright problem most people never consider.

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