Growing Safety Concerns as Automation Expands
AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) adoption in Korean warehouses has grown sharply over the past three years. Not only large logistics operators but mid-sized 3PL providers are now deploying AMRs across picking and transport zones to offset labor shortages. The catch is that as robot fleets grow, so do the number of zones where human and robot paths intersect.
Safety incident data from warehouses shows that a significant share of pinch-point and collision accidents occur at aisles and intersections where autonomous transport equipment and workers operate simultaneously. Risk tends to spike during night shifts or peak seasons, when worker attentiveness naturally dips. Many companies that rushed AMR rollouts focused purely on productivity gains, only retrofitting safety measures later — which is why building safety into the system from day one is now a priority rather than an afterthought.
Domestic and International Safety Certification Trends
In Korea, the Occupational Safety and Health Act mandates specific safety measures for industrial robots and automated equipment. Since the 2023 amendment, risk assessment requirements have been strengthened for mobile robotic systems, including collaborative robots. Employers must conduct risk assessments before installing or operating robots, and ensure adequate protective devices and safety distances are in place.
Internationally, ISO 3691-4 (safety requirements for driverless industrial trucks), ISO 10218 (industrial robot safety), and ISO/TS 15066 (collaborative robot safety guidance) have become the core standards. ISO 3691-4 in particular specifies detailed requirements for sensor-based detection range, stopping performance, and collision-avoidance logic — and is frequently required for export markets or vendor registration with large enterprise clients. Companies pursuing CE marking should also evaluate EN ISO 3691-4 conformity assessment in parallel.
A Safety Design Checklist
Based on field-proven practice, the core safety design elements include:
How POLYGLOTSOFT Integrates Safety into WCS Design
POLYGLOTSOFT treats safety as a core design element in WCS (Warehouse Control System) development, not an add-on feature. We build the safety-zone concept into the robot control logic from the earliest architecture stage, so that in areas where human and robot paths overlap, automatic speed reduction and real-time rerouting kick in immediately. We also support risk assessment documentation aligned with ISO 3691-4 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, helping clients respond quickly during certification audits.
If you need a logistics automation system that delivers both efficiency and safety at the same time, consider POLYGLOTSOFT's WMS/WCS solutions. Through our subscription-based development model, you can build a system with safety designed in from the start — without a large upfront investment.