Darlington Borough Council was fined £28,000 after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found it had not properly monitored work activities at the building site on Allington Way.
The council's failure to ensure the safe storage of trusses was a contributing factor to the accident, the HSE said, along with its failure to manage the volume of materials on site. Vehicle operations had not been planned or managed, and housekeeping was poor.
Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court was told that the injured person was a self-employed labourer working for two self-employed bricklayers, who in turn were contracted by Darlington Borough Council.
On 5 October 2017 the worker crossed the front of the building plot when a pack of roof trusses fell on him, trapping him by the head and right arm, to which he sustained serious injuries.
Darlington Borough Council pleaded guilty to breaching reg 13(1) of the Construction (Design Management) Regulations 2015, which requires PCs to plan, manage and monitor the construction phase of a project.
It was fined and ordered to pay £1,648 in costs.