Andrew Ward, 44, from south east London, was fatally injured two years ago when he fell through a fragile roof at Howarth Timber’s site in Bruce Grove.

At the time, he was working for roofer and builder Paul Hardy, trading as Hardy Construction.

Southwark Crown Court heard that Howarth Timber had hired Hardy to fix a leaking cement roof at the site. But the timber supplier failed to check Hardy’s competence before work began or properly assessed the risks associated with the job.

Hardy failed to plan the work adequately, provide a risk assessment or method statement detailing how he would carry repairs.

Instead of making sure there was safe access to the roof, he provided an incorrectly-erected tower scaffold and an untied ladder.

He also failed to provide a suitable working platform, covering or guardrails despite the work being carried out near a fragile roof.

Paul Hardy of  Belvedere in Kent admitted safety offences and was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for 12 months and fined £3,000 with £11,756 costs.

Howarth Timber Building Supplies also pleaded guilty and was fined £93,750 and ordered to pay full costs of £12,580.

Investigating HSE inspector Chris Tilley said: “Falls through fragile roofs are sadly all too common but this tragic incident could have been avoided if adequate checks had been carried out on the contractor’s competence, the work been planned properly and carried out with the correct equipment.

“The dangers of working at height are well-known in the construction industry and guidance is widely available. The work here should ideally have been undertaken without the need to directly access the roof, for example by using a Mobile Elevated Working Platform, or, if that is not possible, with safety measures to minimise the risk of falling such as or netting, crawling boards and fall arrest harnesses.

“Falls from height continue to be the most common cause of fatality to workers and accounted for 29% of deaths reported to HSE in 2013/14 – meaning that 19 workers lost their lives in falls that were avoidable.”