Kevin Sweeney started in the electricity distribution straight from school, initially working in the Newcastle area at Shortland County Council as an electrical fitter mechanic apprentice, and going into the job, thinking of it as a career for life. He also gained university qualifications as an engineer. Kevin’s working life has been largely in management and planning. After a number of amalgamations and moves he was responsible for the Customer Delivery Division of Advance Energy.

“Safety was always a high priority as far as I can remember, it was always there. Perhaps some of the, some of the things that’ve changed, with the evolution of time is how, how it was delivered. Examples of that might be say; pole top rescue and resuscitation, was a rigorous requirement on an annual basis, to be undertaken … and I can well recall some of the interesting incidents that did occur in doing that pole top rescue, because we actually had to rescue one another from the head of a pole. And be actually lowered to the ground via a rope … and every body went in succession, so there was this continuous succession of people climbing a ladder and rescuing the next person, who then became the rescued, who…. and so it went on, till everybody in the training session that day was suitably rescued and resuscitated!”