inbound
A gigantic cave made of pallets plays a starring role in a
new art exhibit about the transition from physical labor
and production to robotics and the digital economy.
Los Angeles-based artist Liz Glynn’s “The Archaeology
of Another Possible Future” installation, now on display
at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass
The enormous constructions “Sound Cave,” “Touch Cave,” and “Smell
Cave,” made of a veritable mountain of pallets, enclose exhibits that allow visitors to use all their senses. Another sculpture uses pallet slats to illustrate the
distribution of wealth in the United States.
The installation also includes three 20-foot shipping containers. One encloses an exhibit about inventions, while another screens videos, including one of
workers walking away and disappearing into fog. On weekends, the third container is inhabited by a former factory machinist, who works with his hands,
playing music, building looms, and spinning wool, according to a review of the
exhibition in The Boston Globe. (Warning: The article refers to pallets as “
palettes” throughout. Try not to grind your teeth.)
Pallets as social commentary
Much of the hype surrounding Tesla’s newly announced electric semi truck centers on the vehicles’ potential to slash fuel bills and carbon emissions. But one
crucial attribute is getting lost in all the noise: the vehicles’ capacity for nearly
silent operation.
That advantage hasn’t been lost on rival electric truck maker Volvo Trucks, which is targeting the European market for its own 2019
launch. In a recent press release, the company
cited the electric trucks’ quiet operation as one
of their key benefits, noting that electric units
offer a way around the strict overnight noise
regulations in many European cities that keep diesels off their streets.
Among other benefits, the ability to operate at virtually any hour of the day or
night would allow drivers of electric vehicles to take advantage of less-congested
nighttime roads to complete their rounds, Volvo said. With fewer trucks competing for road space, midnight deliveries could lead to quicker round trips and
fewer trucks on the roads overall, the company said.
A recent study supports that claim. Research conducted at Sweden’s KTH
Royal Institute of Technology looked at the impact of running two cargo delivery trucks between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., when heavy-vehicle traffic is forbidden
in central Stockholm. The researchers found that the overnight transport assignments were carried out in just one-third the time required when trucks were
forced to navigate congested roads at rush hour.
Night time is the right time
Parcel delivery can be tough
work year round, but the job
gets even harder during winter
months. Need proof? “Snow” is
the first challenge listed in the
U.S. Postal Service’s oft-quot-
ed service pledge: “Neither snow
nor rain nor heat nor gloom of
night stays these couriers from
the swift completion of their
appointed rounds.”
Both couriers and their man-
agers should take the season seri-
ously, warns Michael Summers,
director of safety and risk man-
agement for the Atlanta-based
staffing firm Randstad USA. Even
when they can avoid slick road-
ways, pedestrians often suffer
slips, trips, and falls, the humble
trio of accidents that cause more
productivity loss than any other
winter injuries, Summers says.
To help promote occupational safety, the staffing company
has issued tips for avoiding win-ter-related accidents. Among
its suggestions for parcel delivery personnel and couriers are
to wear nonskid footwear with
heavy treads for increased traction, to walk along the grassy
edges if the walkway is covered
with ice, and, perhaps most
importantly, to walk slowly and
in small shuffling steps to prevent slipping.
“You just need addition-
al awareness,” Summers says.
“With delivery work, you’re
holding packages and can’t even
see the ground in front of you.
It’s not rocket science; just slow
down, especially if you’re carry-
ing something.”
For more of the company’s
winter safety tips, visit www.
randstadusa.com.
Watch your step
