The fine, awarded at the Aberdeen Sheriff Court today, came as IP pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, following action brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

On 13 January of this year, a worker at the company’s now closed Inverurie mill in Aberdeenshire was tail-feeding following a paper break. While attempting to throw the sheet of paper into the machine, the man was pulled into the workings by the paper, which, it was reported, was wrapped around his left arm.

HSE inspector John Radcliffe said: "This was a very serious incident and a Dickensian-style event considering the age of the legislation in place to protect workers.

"Had a colleague of the injured worker not acted as quickly as he did in stopping the machine, there could have been fatal consequences as his whole body could have been pulled into the machine."

He added that an HSE investigation of the incident identified that the safety barrier provided was "completely inadequate" as a means of preventing access to the dangerous parts of the machine.

"There has been a legal requirement to safeguard the dangerous parts of machinery in Great Britain since the 19th Century and incidents of this serious and traumatic nature should not be occurring in the 21st century," he said.

No one from International Paper was immediately available for comment, however, a spokesman for the company had previously said that it places the highest priority on employee safety and serious reportable accidents "are extremely rare".