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Privacy/
Rights
YoursI don't collect information when you visit my pages, and I don't deposit cookies.
Mine I don't take marketing calls, I block spam, and I don't abide Intellectual Property theft.

David E. Shapiro

email

Home telephone, all calls screened: 699-8833. Area code? That's 301. Please call between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern, except in an emergency.
I receive faxes only by pre-arrangement.
I don't text.

What do I offer?

I have two businesses and a few volunteer involvements--plus a labor of love, or at least homage.
After introducing these and providing links, I will talk very briefly about what I bring to my work from my education and former professions.

Electrician

I have been in business for over 40 years as Safety First Electrical. My electrical business has its own web page; tap this link.

The short-short version:

Shifting toward my other line of work . . .

Electrical Code History

My third book, Behind the Code, was a labor of love for a mentor, written with him. It explains how many modern electrical rules came to be and traces their development.
You can order it at this link.

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In mid-2010, a multiyear effort culminated in the publication of W. Creighton Schwan's final project, which I co-authored. Many electrical experts find the stories in Behind the Code interesting simply as niche history. There's more to it. The book flows together three streams: story-telling, explaining, and documenting progress. Electrical inspectors and consultants say that the detailed histories help them make decisions about whether to grandfather installations. To grandfather is to accept a system, to allow its continued use even though it falls short--sometimes far short-- of complying with today's safety standards, because it was legal at the time it was installed.

Writer/Editor

I have been in business as a writer and editor since the mid-1980s. My writing, editing, and fact-checking business has its own web page; tap this link. It describes my values as a writer, my focus, and my publication history. You'll also find reviews of my books, references, and more.

The short-short version:

I've . . .

Volunteer Activities

                          Local Engagement: I sit on Greenbelt's Ethics Commission, and I work on the local newspaper, the Greenbelt News-Review.

← Open details   Safety: I've a long-term commitment to improving public safety, especially electrical safety. ↑ Close this back up

I express my commitment to safety through work with the National Fire Protection Association on these standards: and work with Standards Committees associated with ULSE, the standards-development arm of UL. I serve on the panels responsible for four standards adopted in slightly differing forms by ANSI/UL in the U.S., CSA in Canada, and ANCE in Mexico.

In the past, I served a number of additional groups:

I also participated in development of the 2022 UL/ANSI white paper on evaluating the impact of voluntary consensus health and safety standards.

Former Careers and Personal Story

My education and the other careers I've explored built skills and experience that enhance my current activities.

I learned how to:

You can read more about my education, earlier work and personal history, and philosophy on my personal page.

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