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For example, more than 850 spinal-cord injuries result from diving accidents every year, according to the American Spinal Injury Association.

And if you think that could never happen in your backyard pool, consider this: More than 300 of those injuries occur in home pools.

"There are swimming pool tragedies all too often that wind up in spinal injury, brain damage and even death," says Dr. Stuart Hirsch, chairman of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons' communications counsel.

"When there's water around, it really means a different level of caution than almost any other level of play -- whether you're a child or adult -- because of the potential danger."

The typical scenario leading to spinal injury involves simple misjudgment, adds Dr. David Grossman, director of the Harborview Injury Prevention Research Center.

"There could be any number of reasons for the misjudgment -- a person is intoxicated, the pool isn't marked, they're too young, etcetera. But what happens is there will be an impact to the head, right on top of the skull. That leads to a compression fracture of the spine, which is where the bone is -- basically like a car hitting a wall. It just crushes onto itself and usually leads to a spinal-cord injury," Grossman says.

Parents, and even pool owners with no children, need to take responsibility for making sure their pool area is as safe as possible, Hirsch adds.

"The No. 1 step they need to take is to make sure there is appropriate fencing around the pool. In addition, the locks on pools need to be relatively child-proof," he says.

Here are some other tips developed by the American Spinal Injury Association to help make your pool a little safer for everyone:

• Set enforceable hours for pool use.
• Don't allow guests to swim alone or to consume alcohol or drugs while in the water.
• Always have someone present who is trained in water safety and life-saving techniques.

And the American Academy of Orthopaedics offers this safety check list:

• Are there depth indicators clearly visible around the pool?
• Is the pool and surrounding area well-lighted for night use?
• Does your pool have a designated diving area?

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