The families of four men who were killed in an October 2011 grain blast in Kansas have announced that they plan to sue the company that employed the men, according to an announcement made this week.

The incident occurred at Bartlett Grain Co. in Kansas City, when a grain elevator exploded while six workers were filling a rail car.

The families announced their intent to file suit in response to Bartlett's plan to erect a memorial for the workers.

"As an alternative to Bartlett spending monies to erect a memorial, it would be our recommendation that Bartlett invest in an extensive safety program designed to prevent another tragedy," said Zoe and Kevin Bock, the mother and stepfather of 20-year-old Chad Roberts, who was killed in the blast.

An investigation by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration concluded that Bartlett's executives exhibited a "willful" ignorance of workplace safety rules, and proposed fining the company $406,000.