According to preliminary reports, the 20-year-old employee at Tracey Timber Recycling in Linwood, Renfrewshire caught his arm in a conveyor belt.
Emergency crews cut the man free and he was airlifted to hospital in Glasgow.
It had been feared that the man might have to have his arm amputated but it was saved by doctors.
A spokesperson for the HSE confirmed: “We are investigating this incident.”
