Functional Safety Certification for Collaborative Robots (Cobots): ISO 13857 Explained

Date
2027-01-22
Location
Online
Host
Zach L

About this event

A Tabletop Exercise for Quality Engineers pursuing functional safety certification. A live 30-minute tabletop exercise on ISO 13857 (Safety Distances) for collaborative robots (cobots), built for quality engineers pursuing functional safety certification. What We'll Cover: What ISO 13857 (Safety Distances) requires and how its scope applies to collaborative robots (cobots) Mapping ISO 13857 clauses to the certification evidence assessors expect System-specific hazards and safety functions typical of collaborative robots (cobots) Common findings that delay certification, and how to avoid them A practical readiness roadmap for quality engineers preparing for assessment Related topics: ISO 13857 · Collaborative Robots (Cobots) · functional safety certification · functional safety assessment ·

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About ISO 13857 (Safety Distances)

This event covers the compliance, engineering, and verification requirements defined by ISO 13857.

EN ISO 13857 specifies safety distances preventing hazard zones being reached by upper and lower limbs — the reach-over, reach-around, reach-through and reach-under tables used to dimension guards and openings.

What it regulates

Distance tables as a function of protective structure height and hazard height (reach over), opening size versus distance (reach through, with the e-slot tables), and low-risk vs high-risk table selection.

Who must comply

Guard designers everywhere — these tables set fence heights, mesh sizes, and feed-opening dimensions on virtually every machine.

Key requirements of ISO 13857

  • Reach-over tables for protective structure dimensioning
  • Reach-through: opening size classes (slot/square/round) with required distances to hazards
  • Reach-around geometry for edges and openings
  • Whole-body access considerations deferring to other standards where applicable

Key concepts: ISO 13857

e-slot dimensions
The opening-size to safety-distance mapping (e.g., fingers through small slots vs arms through large ones).
High-risk table
The stricter reach-over table selected when risk assessment indicates severe consequences.
Reach-over
The combination of guard height and horizontal distance keeping raised-arm reach from the hazard.

Frequently asked questions: ISO 13857

Does 13857 cover crawling under fences?

Lower-limb tables address reach under barriers; preventing whole-body undercrawl typically requires closing gaps below defined heights, complementing presence sensing where full-body access is possible.

What mesh size lets me place a fence close to the hazard?

Smaller openings permit shorter distances: for example openings up to a few millimeters allow near-zero distance, while a 40 mm mesh requires 200 mm or more (per the reach-through tables) — pick mesh by required standoff and required visibility.

Standard information based on the published text of ISO 13857 (Safety Distances). Event content is provided by the host. For authoritative guidance, consult the official standard body.