An Adelaide father killed in a workplace incident at a steel business is being remembered as a fun-loving and generous man who will be "sadly missed".

Jeffrey Wright, 51, from Pennington died when he reportedly fell from a roof at the industrial site on Webb Street at Port Adelaide.

Emergency services were called to the business just before 11:00am on Saturday.

Despite the desperate efforts of ambulance crews, the man died at the scene, police said.

His friend Simon Brownlow said he had known Mr Wright for more than 10 years, and last caught up with him just days before his death.

"He was a fun guy. I had nothing bad to say about him because he was a person who would laugh," Mr Brownlow said.

"He's going to be very sadly missed for sure.

"My biggest memory was of him was last year, he turned 50 and I went to the pub on a Friday. I didn't know it was his birthday and he said 'Put your money away, it's my shout, I've got money on the bar'."

SafeWork SA said the worker died because of a fall at the worksite. ( YouTube: SafeWork SA )

Members of Mr Wright's family have also paid tribute to him on social media.

A report is being prepared for the coroner and workplace safety authority SafeWork SA is investigating.

"SafeWork SA can confirm that a worker has been fatally injured after falling from height at a worksite in Port Adelaide," it said in a brief statement.

SafeWork SA said its staff yesterday attended the site "to investigate this tragedy".