With summer activities in full swing, swimming pool injuries bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, according to ValuePenguin. With pandemic restrictions in effect and pools closed to the public, swimming pool injuries dropped 31.5%, from 152,970 in 2019 to 127,907 in 2020. In 2021, that number climbed by 19.6% to 152,970 in 2021, then by another 20.6% to reach 184,417 injuries in 2022. Over the last decade, swimming pool injuries that required an emergency department visit have most commonly fallen into the following categories:

• Swimming (activity, apparel or equipment): 47.4%
• Swimming pools, not specified: 33.2%
• Built-in swimming pools: 10.7%
• Diving or diving boards: 3.8%

Other, less frequent, injury categories included swimming pool equipment, portable swimming pools, above-ground pools (excluding portable pools) and swimming pool slides. At personal pools, ValuePenguin found the most common safety-related incidents were caused by slipping and falling on the pool deck. The most likely people to be injured at the pool are men and those age 19 and younger. Thankfully, most pool-related injuries don't require hospitalization, and 93.6% of those who visited the emergency department for them between 2013 and 2022 were not admitted. Of the remaining injuries, 6% were admitted and 0.4% died. While 43.6% of pool injuries fall into the "other" category, the most common specified types of injuries are lacerations (11.8%), strains or sprains (8.6%), contusions or abrasions (7.8%), fractures (5.8%) and internal organ injury (5.4%). With so many risks associated with swimming pools, it leaves a lot for those who have their own private pool to consider when making sure they have the proper insurance coverage should a mishap occur – whether that be an injured quest or damage to the pool itself. In the slideshow above, we'll look at some swimming pool insurance tips you should keep in mind when examining your policies, courtesy of ValuePenguin.

Related:

• Summer fun: Make sure these insurance policies are up-to-date
• Keep calm & drive on: Tips for keeping a cool head in summer traffic
• 5 ways insurance is working to de-risk extreme heat