State labor officials investigated safety violations at the Radford Foundry twice within weeks after three workers died in an explosion at the foundry’s sister plant.

The state fined the foundry a total $ 4,000 on the two citations issued by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Occupational Safety and Health Compliance division.

The first citation stemmed from an unspecified violation March 23 involving cranes in the plant. A March 28 drill press accident in which a worker lost a finger prompted the second investigation, according to documents released this week by the state.

They both came after the March 5 gas explosion at the adjacent New River Castings plant killed three workers, injured several others and put hundreds out of work. Both plants are owned by Michigan-based Intermet Corp.

The state initially fined the Radford Foundry $1,875 for the crane citation, but reached a settlement of $ 937.50 with the company.