This report provides an initial review of the state of knowledge regarding blast wave's effects on man. The study is conducted on behalf of the Swedish Fortifications Agency and deals primarily with primary and tertiary effects, i.e. injuries caused directly by the blast wave and injuries caused by violent motion of man. Secondary injuries, i.e. injuries from fragments and quaternary injuries involving burns and injuries from toxic gases are not considered. The force needed to pull off attached objects and the resulting velocity is also discussed. The ear is the organ most sensitive to blast effects and eardrum rupture occur even at relatively low pressure (approx. 50 - 60 kPa). However, a ruptured eardrum is not considered as a serious damage. The lungs are considered to be the most limiting organ. Injury to the lungs can be very serious and the tolerance level is relatively low. The area is elaborated and established thresholds have been developed. Injuries to the central nervous system are a field that arose in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Traumatic Brain Injuries, TBI, are characterized at times as the signature injuries of those conflicts. The area is the subject of intense attention but reliable injury descriptions or tolerance levels are not yet established. It is rather complex to calculate the forces needed to pull off fastened equipment and to determine the resulting velocity. It most probably requires testing and / or numerical calculation to make accurate assessments. Possibly, design recommendations can be derived for different scenarios based on such an analysis. The report first provides a brief summary of blast wave theory followed by injury descriptions and review of injury models and tolerance levels for primary and tertiary injuries. In conclusion, three examples describing injury risks as a function of distance for a few different types of injuries are presented.