Safety Play, Inc.

Safety Play offers nationwide expertise in playground, recreation, sports, trampoline, and warning litigations. Scott Burton is an ex-manufacturer (owned and operated from 1981 - 1993) experienced in manufacturing, design, planning, safety signs, safety labels, inspections, audits, and installations. He helps write the national safety ASTM Standards and CPSC Guidelines in the above fields. He is one of the first to be a Certified Playground Safety Inspector, and is also S.A.F.E. Certified by the National Program for Playground Safety. He has accepted over 500 cases as an expert witness to date (and turned down over 500 other cases as well, mostly due to lack of basis or being on the other side). He has been honored with the 2008 "Playground Safety Advocate of the Year" award by the National Program for Playground Safety.
There is an office in St. Petersburg, Florida and a location in Los Angeles, California. He travels nationwide & combines costs to keep expenses down! Unused funds (exceeding case minimum) are refunded.

Services

Safety Play, Inc. provides the following services:

- Expert Witness

Litigation clients include Plaintiff's attorneys, as well as Defense attorneys representing clients such as Disney, Sears Roebuck, Burger King, K-Mart, La Petite Academy, various manufacturers, insurance companies, parks & recreation departments, public and private schools, child care centers, major restaurant chains, museums, zoos, homeowners associations, etc.

- Audits / Inspections

Inspections are "routine maintenance inspections" that are performed on a frequency based upon factors such as type of equipment, age, vandalism, use, etc., usually by your own qualified personnel as an on-going process. Audits are extremely detailed and discover hazards that are not found in typical "inspections". A professional audit lists hazards in a priority manner so that you can get underway with suggested modifications and a safety plan.

- Design & Planning

We inspect your proposed plans, drawings, catalogs, and specifications. Then we research them for compliance with all applicable laws, Standards, Guidelines, ADA accessibility, as well as what is Standard for your particular industry. Then we recommend the best supplier in the interest of safety, play value, lowest price, and maintenance costs.

- Safety Signs / Safety Labels

Self-stick Warning and Information labels. The labels that we offer are in English and Spanish and are the; Surfacing Warning, Strangulation Warning, "Hot Surface" Warning, Adult Supervision, Age Groups (6-23 months, 2-5 years, 5-12 years, 2-12 years, and Tot Seat age labels), and Surfacing Level Marker Labels.

Litigation Support Services

Safety Play, Inc.'s owner, Scott Burton, offers his assistance in investigations, inspections, surface and equipment hazard identification, supervision issues, potential liability problems, views of the opposing counsel, precautions taken (or not taken), supportive documentation, research, photogrammetry, depositions, and courtroom testimony.

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

Baseball & Softball Safety

Profile

Scott Burton is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) and is also S.A.F.E. Certified by the NPPS. He has instructed various playground and recreation safety courses from beginner to advanced to existing inspectors, Child Care Licensing Bureaus, Parks & Recreation Depts., corporate managers, etc. He has been an instructor for the CPSI course for NRPA / NPSI.

Mr. Burton has been in this industry since 1981. He has designed, manufactured (owned and operated from 1981 - 1993) and installed thousands of different types of equipment and areas. He has audited thousands of playground sites in and out of the USA, offering inexpensive modification recommendations. He has accepted over 500 cases as an expert witness (and also turned down over 500 cases, mostly for lack of merit).

Mr. Burton has been honored with the 2008 "Playground Safety Advocate of the Year" award by the National Program for Playground Safety. As prior owner of Florida's largest (and the Southeast's second largest) recreation equipment manufacturing company for over 11 years, his duties included planning, design, writing specifications, purchasing, manufacturing & installation supervision, surfacing specifications, and sales networking worldwide.

Areas Served

All States. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, (also District of Columbia), Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Professional Experience

Scott Burton has instructed various playground and recreation safety courses from beginner to advanced to inspectors, Child Care Licensing Bureaus, Parks & Recreation Depts., corporate managers, etc. He has been an instructor for the CPSI course for NRPA / NPSI. Scott Burton is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector and is also S.A.F.E. Certified.

Mr. Burton created and designed Inspection Tool Kits, which are sold worldwide through Safety Play, Inc.® and international distributors.

Mr. Burton created and designed playground safety labels, which are sold worldwide through Safety Play, Inc.® and international distributors.

He has been accepted in courts as an expert witness in the various fields of recreation, and has testified for both plaintiff and defense since 1988. Expert witness case ratios are "approximately" 60% Plaintiffs and 40% Defendants.

He is an active and attending voting member of numerous ASTM committees, creating the National playground, recreation, trampoline, surfacing, and sports safety standards. He has worked in conjunction with the CPSC to create the revisions of the playground safety Guidelines since 1996.

See "Profile" for more.

Licenses

Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI).
S.A.F.E. Certified.

Legal Experience & Services

Scott Burton has been accepted in various courts as an expert witness in the various fields of recreation, and has testified for both plaintiff and defense since 1989. Clients include Plaintiff Attorneys, Defense Attorneys for clients such as Disney, Sears, Burger King, K-Mart, insurance companies, parks departments, schools, child care centers, etc. Expert ratios are "approximately" Plaintiffs (60%) and Defendants (40%).

Affiliations

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)
National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA)
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Masonic Lodge #139 (Master Mason).

Qualifications

See above.

Awards & Honors

Call for a complete CV.
Mr. Burton has been honored with the 2008 "Playground Safety Advocate of the Year" award by the National Program for Playground Safety.

Seminars & Training

Scott Burton has been an instructor for the NRPA / NPSI CPSI (Certified Playground Safety Inspector) Course.
Scott Burton is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector and is also S.A.F.E. Certified.

Publications

Scott Burton is the author of numerous articles on recreation and playground safety and has conducted countless safety seminars and courses. He has written specifications for Schools, Parks, Architects, etc., worldwide. Call him for a list of articles and interviews published.

Professional References

Sample list of clients include those located in the U.S. and overseas: Plaintiff Attorneys, Defense Attorneys for clients such as Disney, IKEA, K-Mart, hundreds of Attorneys, hundreds of Parks and Recreation departments, hundreds of Public and Private Schools, Family Entertainment Centers (F.E.C.'s), chain Child Care Centers, Architects, Churches, chain Restaurants, major Manufacturers, Homeowners Associations, insurance companies, etc.
Call for details.

Education

A.A. Degree (Business) from USF
Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) by NRPA / NPSI.
S.A.F.E. Certified by the National Program for Playground Safety
ADA training seminar