Industrial Robot Safety and Product Liability in China: Orientation

Actors and typical duties

• Manufacturer — design/manufacture defects, instructions, software updates
• Integrator / system builder — cell design, guarding, PLC logic, modifications
• End-user factory — safe workplace, training, lockout/tagout, maintenance
• Component supplier — defective parts cascading into system liability

Contract levers

• Scope of supply and accepted modifications
• Acceptance tests and safety validation records
• Warning labels and Chinese manuals as deliverables
• Indemnities and insurance minimums
• Software update and remote access responsibilities
• IP/NNN for cell designs shared with China plants

Checklist

• [ ] Risk assessment documented for each cell design
• [ ] Chinese safety instructions delivered and acknowledged
• [ ] Change-control process for field modifications
• [ ] Incident investigation and evidence preservation SOP
• [ ] Insurance covers product + professional liability as needed
• [ ] AI vision/voice features reviewed under privacy/AI rules if present

Counsel

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