A Metro worker was injured when a piece of track equipment bucked as it broke, snapping the worker’s ankle and slowing down trains.

The incident happened about 5:30 p.m. Saturday on the Red Line tracks between Bethesda and Medical Center, according to Metro.

“The employee was using a piece of equipment called a grinder while performing state-of-good-repair track work,” said Metro spokesman Reggie Woodruff. “The blade of the grinder broke, which caused the tool to strike the employee’s ankle, breaking it.”

The incident was not reported to the Tri-State Oversight Committee that is charged with the agency's rail safety, said TOC Chairman Matt Bassett. But technically, it didn’t need to be. Metro is required to report incidents in which two or more workers are taken to the hospital for injuries, not one. 

Metrorail workers’ safety has been under the microscope, though, after four workers were killed in three track work accidents in the past two years. Two workers were struck by trains, while two others were hit by a truck running in reverse. Metro has been working on revising its track worker safety protocols, after several outside investigations found the agency wasn't properly training workers or following its own policies.