Pooling Life-Test Data by Means of the Empirical Bayes Method

The Empirical Bayes approach in reliability is reviewed non-technically by discussing the questions: What is Empirical Bayes; how does it differ from Bayes; when can I use it; how do I use it; and what do I gain by using it? The Empirical Bayes method is applied to the problem of estimating the outage rates for two 115 kV transmission circuits of a regional power company.