David Vickers, 37, of Walton, near Chesterfield, died when the skip lorry he was driving overturned and landed on top of him.
It happened at Adis Scaffolding’s base, near Chesterfield, on 22 July 2008.
Derby Crown Court heard that the man had left his cab to deploy rear outriggers before raising a skip using the lifting arms.
As he did so the vehicle overturned and landed on him, causing fatal injuries.
Health and Safety Executive investigators found the skip was mis-hooked, with the hooks engaging on the lip of a base plate rather than correctly on the catch bar.
This meant the skip tipped normally until reaching an angle of 70 degrees when it broke free and swung out backwards lifting the front of the vehicle to lift several feet off the ground.
During the course of tipping the offside outrigger retracted causing the lorry to tip over.
The HSE There was inadequate training of employees and “the risk assessment for loading and unloading skips fell short of identifying all significant risks and controls”
Adis Scaffolding of Sheffield was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £124,468 in costs. The Firm went into voluntary liquidation in September 2010.
After the hearing HSE inspector Edward Walker said: “The failings by Adis Scaffolding Limited were substantial, ranging from unsuitable equipment, an inadequate risk assessment, inadequate training and instruction, and an absence of safe systems of work.
“These failings led to a situation where things went badly wrong, and where David was placed in an impossible situation.
“His tragic death could easily have been avoided with better planning, management and foresight.”