(CNN) -- SeaWorld has been fined $75,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for three safety violations, including one classified as willful, after an animal trainer was killed in February. In a statement Monday, Cindy Coe, OSHA's regional administrator, said that SeaWorld knew of the inherent risks of allowing trainers to interact with dangerous animals. "Nonetheless, it required its employees to work within the pool walls, on ledges and on shelves where they were subject to dangerous behavior by the animals," Coe said in the statement. SeaWorld denied what it called "unfounded" allegations by the U.S. Department of Labor agency and said it would contest the citations.
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NEW: SeaWorld calls OSHA allegations "unfounded"
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The federal agency overseeing worker safety fines SeaWorld
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The fines follow the death of an animal trainer in February
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OSHA says SeaWorld practices put trainers in danger
"OSHA's allegations in this citation are unsupported by any evidence or precedent and reflect a fundamental lack of understanding of the safety requirements associated with marine mammal care penalties," a @placeholder statement said Monday.