About  Shadow Crane Solutions

This site is the compilation of 40 plus years of working with cranes in both commercial and industrial applications.  Cranes have gotten bigger with much more sophisticated operating systems and controls which multiply the forces needed to deliver the point load to the required location.

It is my desire to engage with stakeholders in the crane industry to create safer lifting solutions at the hook.  This site addresses important issues facing today's crane operators, owners, lift directors, project managers and crane and job-site insurance underwriters. 

For further information, to discuss issues or for consulting services, please contact me at [email protected].

John P. Egnatz, Consultant and Crane Safety Subject Matter Expert

EXPERIENCED
40 years in the Crane Industry

• IUOE Local 150 Crane Operator (retired)
• Union Training Site Crane and Rigging Instructor
• IUOE Local 150 Apprenticeship Advisory Board, Union Steward, Craft Foreman
• Licenses & Certifications Held
  • City of Chicago Crane Operator
  • Operating Engineers Certification Program (OECP)
  • Crane Operator Certificate Cook County, IL Crane Operator’s Certificate
  • Maximum Reach Rigging Foreman’s Training Course by Maximum Reach
  • NCCCO Certified Crane Operator    
  • IUOE Local #150 Signal Person Safety Training
  • Homeland Security ICS-100 Introduction to the Incident Command Systems
  • OSHA 10 IUOE Local #150 Overhead Crane Certification
  • The Crosby Group - Heavy Lift Rigging Certification
• Crane & Rigging Conference/Industrial Crane & Hoist Presenter
  
• Published Industry Author
• USNR Navy Seabees 1st Class Petty Officer E6 NMCB 25 DET 0825 Career Counselor

RESPECTED
Licensed Crane Operator & Instructor

JOB HIGHLIGHTS

• Mammoet USA – BP Whiting Indiana WRMP Project – PTC3, Liebherr LR1800, LR1400 and Manitowoc 18000 with Maxer
• Pepper Construction, Wrigley Field, Chicago American Airlines Club – RTC-8090
  
• Pirson Montage – #13 Blast Furnace Total Reconstruction, US Steel GaryWorks, Operator of Demag CC2800 Crawler with Superlift and Luffing Jib (SWSL)
  
• Barnhart Crane & Rigging, Tailed, Upended and Set-in Place Process Vessels. Liebherr LR1500 w/SuperLift Tray
• Deep South Crane & Rigging – BP Whiting Indiana –  TC36000 Versacrane / Exxon Mobil Joliet – TC28000 Versacrane
  
• Laramie Crane – #4 Blast Furnace 30-Day Outage, US Steel GaryWorks – Manitowoc 16000 Crawler with 360’ Luffing Jib
  
• Maxim Crane/Kvaerner – US #4 Blast Furnace – 18000 Manitowoc with Maxer and Luffing Jib. /  Valparaiso University - set precast with Manitowoc 999
• Broad, Vogt and Conant Co. – O’Hare United Airlines Terminal and Hangar Project, Chicago, Bethlehem and J & L Steel Continuous Caster Projects and RMS Generating Power Plant
• Healy-Ball-Grow J/V and Kenny/Jay Dee J/V – TARP (Chicago Deep Tunnel Project) 

KNOWLEDGEABLE
Crane Maintenance & Safety Advocate
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• Broad knowledge of crane and rigging operations, inclusive of assembly and maintenance with focus on lift safety considerations.
  
• Experienced in both conventional and hydraulic cranes in the areas of new construction, lift plan procedures, factory and refinery installations and in a wide variety of custom applications.
  
• Extensive understanding of OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1400 Regulations and best industry safety practice as well as deep familiarity with incidents involving cranes and their causal factors.
  
• Well informed on the history of crane design and applications as well as current industry trends and best practices both in the United States and abroad.
  

Reflection of a Crane Aficionado

My love of cranes began as an crane oiler in 1979, but I was assigned my first big crane, a Manitowoc 3900T in 1988.  My fascination with cranes has grown alongside of my career.  Highlights include working on the first ever Manitowoc M250 with Luffing Jib attachment to go into the field in 1993 and performing tandem lifts with a Liehberr LR1500 with Superlift Tray.  The successes are exciting, but in December of 1993, I lost a dear friend and operator to a crane incident.  Ever since, my passion for cranes has been tempered by the need for equipment maintenance, clear communication and an ever present awareness that without preventative thought and safety measures in place, incidents are more likely to happen and someone may not go home to their family.