The Traralgon man had been operating a machine which peels bark from logs at a treated pine processing business, when he became caught.
Clothing was found entangled in the machine. The worker is understood to be in an induced coma at the Alfred Hospital.
According to the workplace safety authority, there have been more than 1000 traumatic work-related amputations in Victoria over the past five years.
While machines are used because they are stronger and faster than people, they come with risks. WorkSafe Victoria says too many people fail to guard machines, and these are “accidents waiting to happen”.