It’s National Poison Prevention Week and local experts are urging parents to safeguard their children against accidental poisonings.

According to the National Poison Center, they receive a call every 13 seconds about someone being exposed to a poison.

More than half of those calls involve children under the age of six – and everyday household items that you wouldn’t think twice about.

“One of the problems that we have with poisoning is first, they’re preventable,” explains Dr. Michael Garver of Premier Care Pediatrics.

With millions of children being exposed every year – and almost all occurring in the home - local pediatricians say preventing accidents should be a top priority for parents.

“Keep things in their container that they come in – that’s very important. Sometimes, people will take substances and pour them into a plastic milk jug and children will get into them.”

Pesticides and household cleaners should also be kept out of reach. Even items that might seem harmless, like cosmetics, can be dangerous if ingested.

“If you can have shelving that is quite tall that the children can’t get to, that’s out of reach, and then also have safety locks on them, that’s very helpful, especially when we’re talking about in the kitchen and under kitchen counters,” Dr. Garver tells NewsChannel 5.

The same is true for medications. Besides disposing old prescriptions, securing them from children is also important to prevent exposure and potential poisoning.

“As a parent and a pharmacist, it’s important to make sure prescription medications are always kept secure and out of reach from children. When medications for instance need to be stored in the refrigerator, I suggest that parents have locks for the refrigerator during those times,” says Brent Woldtvedt, Pharmacist in Charge at the 10th Avenue South Walgreens.

Experts also recommend keeping the poison control number by the phone in case of emergencies.

“Most of the ingestions that are outside of a healthcare facility and in the home can be treated at home, and so by calling Poison Control, they can also advise you on whether or not you need to go to the emergency room,” Dr. Garver explains.

Besides keeping the number for Poison Control by the phone, Dr. Garver also recommends having your child’s information on hand - including age, weight, name and any medications they might be on.

Poison Control can be reached at 1-800-222-1222.