Your favorite downloads

Statistics are fun. Some say they’re fascinating little numbers that can be stretched and turned like a pile of Play Doh to represent pretty much what you want, but I take them seriously, so Web site management is a perfect profession for someone like me, who can still tell you the individual batting averages of the 1989 Chicago Cubs.

On our Web site, everything is meticulously tracked. Like Big Brother, I know where you’ve been. The numbers are fantastic tools for me to accurately predict what will do well on the site. I also think they’re beneficial for you, the reader, because it’s valuable for you to know what your peers find interesting. Chances are you’ll find it interesting, too. The latest perusal of your activities on www.PlantServices.com, found these downloads to be the most popular:

1. What’s the number-one most overlooked expense category?
   This story may open your eyes to the dollars that can be saved in your plant. It comes complete with a free report.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/065.html
2. Troubleshooting: A technician’s guide.
   Learn about a book from a veteran electrical engineer that uses real-world examples to illustrate the skills and knowledge it takes to be a quality troubleshooter.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/033.html
3. Lean manufacturing pocket guide.
   A one-stop destination Web site for lean manufacturing has been launched. Become familiar with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and get a free pocket guide.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/004.html
4. Electrical measurement safety educational video.
   This video from Fluke contains the latest NFPA 70E information. It is available on CD and incudes a post test as well as instructions on how to audit your meter.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/081.html
5. Maintenance planning and scheduling handbook.
   This practical guide, co-authored by Life Cycle Engineering’s planning and scheduling expert Tim Kister, is a hands-on reference tool for maintenance, reliability engineering and plant professionals alike.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/060.html
6. How to properly light commercial warehouses.
   McGill, a leading manufacturer of lighting solutions, offers these common-sense tips to help brighten high-bay areas.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/026.html
7. Blues and reggae versions of the Maintenance Crisis Song.
   To further spread the message to the world and work against the Maintenance Crisis, Joel Leonard continues to add new twists to his very popular original tune.
   http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2005/453.html
8. NAIMA offers free literature and videos to increase worker safety.
   NAIMA’s “Play it smart, play it safe” video is designed to increase employee comfort and as a result, reduce worker compensation claims. It is aimed at workers who handle fiberglass and rock and slag wool insulation products.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/073.html
9. Safety engineers offer flu infection control tips.
   What should your workplace do to prepare for a possible flu pandemic? The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Healthcare Practice Specialty group offers some tips.
   http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/011.html
10. Stanley Proto offers tool safety program.
    "Safety starts here," a 30-minute video by Stanley Proto, uses an entertaining and informational style to drive home the point that taking shortcuts can be a shortcut to disaster.
    http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2006/046.html

These 10 items represent thousands of page views — 13,613, to be exact — so they’re a solid representation of the most popular topics on the site. There are, of course, many more similar items, as well as in-depth information on thousands of topics that don’t draw a crowd, easily found via our search engine. Please, for my enjoyment and your reading pleasure, become a statistic.

E-mail Senior Web Editor Michael Ermitage at mermitage@putman.net.