An employee was using his foot to push down material that was stuck in the automatic baler's loading hopper. His foot went through the cardboard into a void area causing the him to lose his balance and fall into the loading hopper then into the compactor ram area. The ram cycled and his feet were caught between the ram and a side of the compactor area. The employee suffered a broken tibia and the right foot was crushed. The employee's right leg was later amputated below the knee.