The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited five contractors for various safety and health violations after an explosion killed three employees and critically injured two others at a shipyard in Calvert City, KY.

Ship repair contractor First Marine, LLC; insulation contractor Thermal Control and Fabrication Inc.; temporary staffing companies Hutco Inc. and Day Help LLC (operating as Wise Staffing Group); and blasting and painting contractor Joe Rupcke were all named in the citations. Collectively the five companies received five violations with associated penalties totaling $795,254.

Investigators determined that the explosion occurred while employees were cutting and welding in an environment that contained flammable gases. The administration issued citations for failing to test confined spaces before entry; failing to train workers on confined space entry operations; failing to label chemical containers; exposing employees to asphyxiation, fire, explosion, chemical, trip and drowning hazards, and for allowing welding to be performed without testing for an explosive atmosphere.

First Marine faces penalties of more than $523,800 and has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

First Marine Representative Jason Straight issued a statement saying they fully cooperated with OSHA investigators and make workplace safety a top priority. The statement goes on to describe the business as a family-owned company “saddened over the loss of lives and injuries that occurred as a result of this incident” and emphasized how they will work to re-dedicate themselves to maintaining a safe workplace.

Read the press release from OSHA along with a full list of citations here.