New figures show 59 per cent of all toddler drownings in the past 12 months occurred in backyard pools.

Royal Life Saving said the figures were horrifying and were significantly higher than average.

Royal Life Saving executive officer Rob Bradley said thousands of pools across the country were death traps due to unsafe fencing or gates and that home swimming pools were the most dangerous aquatic locations for toddlers.

As part of the organisation's 2009 Keep Watch campaign, Launceston residents with swimming pools were asked to undergo a pool safety check this weekend.

"We're deeply concerned that research shows that in some areas of Australia up to 80 per cent of pools simply are not compliant with current safety standards.

"Swimming pool fences should be no more than 100 millimetres from the ground and should be at least 1.2 metres high with no vertical gaps more than 100 millimetres apart," Mr Bradley said.

"Any vegetation growing around a pool should be cut back because young, curious kids often use this to climb into a pool. Always make sure pool chemicals are stored well out of reach of children."

Mr Bradley said on top of the toddler drowning deaths that were recorded, there were a high number of children that suffered brain damage as a result of a water incident.