Health and safety officers are often associated with an increasing killjoy cotton wool culture but this breed of unpopular advisors are now reinventing themselves as fun-loving individuals with a 'can do' attitude.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is so keen to bolster its image that it has announced this year it will be sponsoring the World Conker Championships held in Ashton, south Northamptonshire, on October 14.

The institution is seeking to dispel the myths surrounding health and safety by proving that its ethos is not about stopping people having fun, but enabling them to have fun safely.

Lisa Fowlie, president of IOSH, said: "Our sponsorship is about countering the negative perception that health and safety stops you from doing things.

"Health and safety is often used as an excuse not to do something but, managed properly, it's actually the key to ensuring activities go ahead, but in as safe and healthy a manner as possible."

The World Conker Championships has been running since 1965 and attracts about 500 entrants from across the world plus 5,000 spectators each year.

Ashton Conker Club secretary John Hadman said they had always made sure the event was safe.

He said: "We always update our risk assessment every year and we have insurance for £20million. When we talk to schools and representatives of young people we always tell them don't climb trees and throw things up at them to get conkers because it is dangerous. We also say make sure you get an adult to drill the hole if it is with an electric drill."

However he also let slip: "When I was young we used to use old fashioned butchers' skewers."

Mr Hadman added that it was a shame many schools clamped down on conker playing.

He said: "In schools they don't let them breathe in case they pull a germ. It gets a bit ridiculous. If any game is properly supervised it should be okay. One of our members is a headmaster."

The 'bonker conkers' decision, which is taken up by more schools each year, is actually not something which is endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national body which enforces legislation.

Bill Callaghan, chair of the Health and Safety Commission, explained: "The suggestion that children should wear safety goggles whilst playing conkers is just the type of thing that gives sensible health and safety a bad name.

"The issue of requiring headteachers to ensure children wear safety goggles whilst playing conkers is not something HSE would ever be involved in – the notion that HSE has inspectors monitoring playground activities across the country is nonsense."

Pat Wilmot, who works in the health and safety department at Northamptonshire County Council, is also keen to dispel some of the myths surrounding the job.

She said: "The banning of conkers is a bit of a myth. A decision might be made by the school at the time. The law can be misunderstood and that leads to people being over-protective. Health and safety can then get the blame. Sometimes stopping something is the simple solution. But people sometimes need to think about what they are interpreting."

She said the approach of a health and safety team, which was often misunderstood, was to work out how something could be done safely.

"We look at things in terms of how can we facilitate this activity rather than hinder it. We take a positive approach. Health and safety is a can-do approach seeking alternative solutions," she said.

The council health and safety team are responsible for giving advice to all council employees, from equipment in schools to arranging days out at learning disability units through to issues with respite homes, libraries and waste management.

They do not enforce health and safety legislations but give out guidance on the latest government and European Union regulations.

Mrs Wilmot added: "Things alter and change all the time and we have to put out extra guidance. In April 2008 there will be new noise regulations which will influence the music and entertainment business and corporate manslaughter legislation will be coming out.

"If a civil claim comes in it may influence an area we do business in and we will issue additional information. The amount of health and safety has increased but it is not out of proportion to how life is changing. The legislation is reflecting the modern working environment and the changes reflect that."

Peter Clarke, health and safety officer of Northamptonshire Newspapers, admitted the position had a bad reputation which was an unfair representation and sometimes came about by people failing to get proper advice.

He added: "A lot of my work is based on the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was and is a brilliant piece of legislation. It forced companies to put the safety of their workforce before profit and, over the last 30 years, work-related deaths and serious injuries have plummeted, particularly in what are high-risk industries such as construction.

"Health and safety work is geared to allowing people to get on with their jobs safely but, unfortunately, some have used it as an excuse to ban such things as school outings. This is nonsense and almost any sort of out-of-school activity can be allowed, provided the risks are recognised and certain ground rules are established.

"The national media has latched on to these rare occurrences and continue to promote the 'bonkers conkers' myth, which has unfairly tarnished the good work health and safety officers do.

"The 'sue them' culture has inevitably increased the workload of the health and safety officer and now we must establish a paper trail to prove we are doing our jobs."