A man with his arm crushed in a steel roller used his free hand to call emergency services last night.

The accident happened at a Birch Ave business that manufactures wire netting, says Tauranga Fire Service senior station officer Mark Keller.

A man's arm was crushed in a roller at a manufacturer in Judea.

'It's a machine for making heavy duty wire netting,” says Mark.

'His arm was trapped between a roll of netting and a steel roller.

'He managed to get to his cellphone, and although he was in a lot of pain, he managed to call emergency services and rang his boss, and his boss got down there and released him from the machine just before our arrival.

The Tauranga man, aged 39, was taken to Tauranga Hospital by St John Ambulance.

St John Ambulance report he suffered a moderate arm injury.

The cellphone call was made after 11.30pm and the fire service was on scene for about an hour, says Mark.