Safety mechanism for blowout preventer

A blowout preventer stack for sealing an undersea riser that is connected to a well, comprising:

• a frame extending along an axis and configured to be attached to a head of the well;
• an accumulator attached to the frame and configured to provide high pressure;
• a blowout preventer (BOP) disposed within the frame;
• the BOP having a body with oppositely facing front and back walls joined by oppositely facing side walls, and a pair of bonnets, each of the bonnets attached to one of the side walls of the body;
• the body having a horizontal, flat upper surface;
• a cylindrical upward extending flange bolted to the upper surface concentric with the axis;
• the BOP being configured to seal the well when the high pressure from the accumulator is released to the BOP;
• a plurality of brackets bolted to the upper surface of the body and spaced radially outward from the flange, each of the brackets having a free end located outward from the body, the brackets being spaced around the axis;
• and
• a safety bar attached to the free ends of the brackets, the safety bar having front and back portions spaced outward from the front and back walls, respectively, and side portions spaced outward from the side walls and above the bonnets.

A blowout preventer (BOP) stack, comprising:

• a plurality of BOPs fastened on top of each other along an axis;
• one of the BOPs having a body with a generally rectangular upper surface, a front wall, a back wall, and two oppositely facing side walls;
• a cylindrical flange bolted to and extending upward from the upper surface of the body, defining upward facing shoulders on the upper surface of the body extending radially outward from the flange;
• a plurality of brackets, each secured by bolts to one of the upward facing shoulders of the body, each of the brackets protruding outward from the body;
• and
• a safety bar attached to each of the brackets for receiving a clip of a personnel safety harness, the safety bar having a front portion located a selected distance outward from the front wall, a back portion located a selected distance outward from the back wall, and two side portions, each located a selected distance outward from one of the side walls.