Health officials in Quebec are investigating an accident in late August in which a firefighter was forced to saw off the arm of a man caught in an industrial wood chipper, a news agency reports.

The man, 23, was working in a factory south of Montreal when his left arm became trapped in the machine, the French-language television network TQS reported Wednesday.

Firefighters and ambulance technicians were the first to respond to the accident, and quickly judged the man's arm had to be amputated.

The network reported that local police even went to see about renting a saw at a nearby hardware store, though firefighters eventually used one of their own.

About an hour after the accident, a team of emergency-room specialists from Charles Lemoyne hospital arrived at the factory.

An emergency room doctor then ordered the firefighters to go ahead with an amputation above the elbow. An ambulance service spokesperson said the situation at that point was judged to be life or death.

After the man was taken to hospital, his arm required further amputation because of infection.

Quebec's Ministry of Health has reportedly taken an interest in the incident, saying that hospitals should have portable cases of sterilized equipment for such situations.

TQS says local health officials declined to comment about the accident as an investigation is underway.