John D. Surma is a shareholder in the Houston, Texas office of Ogletree Deakins. His practice focuses on representing employers in workplace safety and health matters, including preventive advice and counseling, regulatory actions, and investigation.
John counsels and represent clients throughout the United States before a variety of regulatory agencies including OSHA, MSHA, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Railroad Administration/American Association of Railroads, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. He assists clients with the interpretation and application of OSHA standards, reviews and develops compliance programs, audits compliance programs and advises clients concerning deficiencies, consults on regulations and their applicability to businesses, assists clients with permitting issues, and prepares clients for and represents them in regulatory actions and inspections, including catastrophic incidents. He also advises his regulatory compliance clients on risk management and workplace safety and security.
In addition, John performs investigations into catastrophic incidents causing injury and death. He has investigated a wide range of catastrophes including plant and refinery explosions and fires, construction accidents, trucking accidents, pipeline accidents, mechanical equipment failures, safety program failures, equipment operation errors, electrical safety failures, chemical releases, and structural failures. He often represents clients in both the regulatory and civil litigation that follows and has extensive trial experience. John also serves as general counsel for several entities.
John’s clients include aviation companies, refiners, chemical companies, manufacturing companies, construction companies, engineering firms, transportation companies, industrial service companies and nuclear energy companies.
More Legal and Business Bylines From John Surma
- NFPA Electrical Equipment Maintenance Standard: From Recommended Practice to Potential Industry Standard - (Posted On Thursday, May 16, 2024)
- Senators Introduce Bill to Improve Safety for Warehouse Workers - (Posted On Friday, May 10, 2024)
- OSH Law Primer, Part V: Recordkeeping Requirements - (Posted On Friday, May 03, 2024)
- Safety Basics II: The OSHA Rulemaking Process [Podcast] - (Posted On Thursday, May 02, 2024)
- Safety Perspectives From Region 6: Programs and Program Enforcements [Podcast] - (Posted On Wednesday, April 24, 2024)
- Safety Perspectives From Region 6: OSHA’s New Walkaround Rule [Podcast] - (Posted On Wednesday, April 10, 2024)
- As Temperatures Start to Rise, OSHA Takes Steps to Implement Rules Concerning Heat Illness Prevention - (Posted On Friday, April 05, 2024)
- OSH Law Primer, Part IV: The General Duty Clause - (Posted On Wednesday, April 03, 2024)
- After a Long Warm-Up, OSHA’s Proposed ‘Walkaround Rule’ Gets OIRA’s Final Approval to Run (in the Federal Register) - (Posted On Saturday, March 23, 2024)
- Safety Basics I: Employer Duties and Enforcement Standards Under the OSH Act [Podcast] - (Posted On Thursday, March 21, 2024)