The company admitted breaching the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act during a hearing before Birmingham magistrates last week.

The court heard the employee was injured in June when a pallet fell from a forklift truck breaking his ribs.

HSE inspector Amarjit Kalay said in a statement after the case: "It is important that individuals and employers remember their duties under the law to take reasonable care of the health and safety of others.

"The injuries inflicted could have been significantly worse, or even fatal. Operators of lift trucks must ensure that they operate them in accordance with training and employers must ensure that they are used safely."

Goodyear Dunlop spokesperson, Kate Rock, said the company, “will learn from the findings of this case and continue to improve”.

She said that the company had established a new health and safety plan called ‘No one gets hurt’ that will apply to all employees involved in manufacturing worldwide.

The initiative includes safety awareness training and risk assessments to improve processes and equipment usage.

Rock added: “The company has a positive commitment towards health and safety and continues to strive towards a culture and environment in which all its employees can work safely.”