Louis Mitchell, aged 22 and from Brighton, suffered multiple injuries while trying to repair a fragile asbestos roof on 14 October 2010 at an industrial estate in Church Road, Brighton.
Sole trader Andrew Hyder was contracted to do the work at a unit on Smokey Estate and had brought in Mr Mitchell to help on a casual basis.
Brighton Magistrates' Court heard that the men were using scaffold boards as crawling boards when Mr Mitchell fell head first through the fragile roof, landing on a concrete floor 5m below.
He survived because he twisted while falling and landed on his shoulder. However, he fractured his neck, punctured a lung, and broke four ribs, two vertebrae and his collar bone. He had to have 10 staples in his head.
HSE argued that Mr Hyder had failed to ensure work at height on the fragile roof was carried out safely with suitable equipment and no precautions were in place to prevent Mr Mitchell from falling through the roof.
Andrew Hyder, of Norwich Drive, Brighton pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Brighton Magistrates' Court, on 17 February 2011. Mr Hyder was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay costs of £2,478.60.
HSE inspector Russell Beckett said: "The dangers of working on fragile roofs are very clear yet companies and individuals continue to take risks and cut corners. Mr Hyder was well aware of the precautions he should have taken but decided to ignore them.
"Falls from height are the major cause of workplace fatalities. This case should serve as a warning to others that if you work without the right equipment and put workers at risk, you will end up in court."
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