Meet the Trainer: Rob Wylie
Comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of fire safety is essential for all property professionals. The NRLA’s popular Fire Safety for Landlords course is delivered by Rob Wylie, a fire safety expert with a decade of experience in the industry. As part of our Meet the Trainer series, he shares his journey from the classroom to consultant.
Originally a secondary school maths teacher, Rob Wylie spent 15 years in education before making a career pivot that would see him become a trusted and respected voice in the fire safety industry.
“My transition into fire safety began when I was overseeing post-16 vocational and apprenticeship courses, explains Rob. "Students needed work placements, which required health and safety knowledge, so I obtained my general certificate and fire safety qualification from the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)."
When the college closed down, Rob saw an opportunity to use his newly acquired qualifications in a different way, initially working for private companies before becoming an independent consultant specialising in health and safety and fire safety.
The impact of Grenfell
Like many in the industry, Rob was deeply affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 and immediately identified the preventable nature of the disaster.
"There were lots of failures in the management of the building which ultimately cost people their lives," he reflects. "If corners hadn't been cut, it all could have been avoided. Looking at the years leading up to that, there were very big issues that needed to be addressed, but they were just overlooked."
Working with landlords
Five years ago, Rob developed and began delivering the Fire Safety Legislation for Landlords course for the NRLA, just before the pandemic hit. Since restrictions lifted, he has been delivering the course across venues in Manchester and London, with plans to expand to Dorset and Leeds.
"I enjoy working with landlords because they genuinely want to understand what they can do to make their premises as safe as possible to prevent fires and keep tenants safe”, says Rob, who primarily works with owners of HMOs and smaller residential buildings.
However, he acknowledges the challenges many landlords face: "One of the biggest issues is that fire safety legislation isn't prescriptive. Very often it's open to interpretation and depending on who they speak to, landlords get very different answers, and they don't understand why. Often, they go in one route and they get told they need to go on another route. It's great they are engaged but they do find it difficult, given the different types of advice."
"The great thing about this course is we can give them the correct advice."
Rob's Fire Safety for Landlords course
Based in Essex but originally from South London, Rob’s NEBOSH qualifications provide the technical foundation for his practical approach to fire safety compliance.
The Fire Safety for Landlords course covers everything from understanding technical jargon to practical implementation of fire safety measures, with Rob providing regular updates on how the industry is evolving and what the longer-term regulatory landscape might look like.
It also covers practical elements like fire alarm systems, working with specialist companies like AICO.
The course is delivered face-to-face in a full-day session, ensuring landlords get comprehensive, interactive training.
"My job is to help landlords have a better understanding of where they can find answers to their questions," says Rob. "I give them updates to show where the industry is moving and what the longer-term plan is. The goal is to ensuring proper fire safety management across all residential properties."
There are a selection of Fire Safety for Landlords dates still available this year, with the NRLA website offering a wide range of resources on fire safety, including checklists and guides.
For more information on the wide range of courses our award-winning training academy has on offer click here.
