"Brian Gaff" wrote in message ...
At the risk of putting folk off their food, would not the effect depend on
the speed of the depressurisation?

No. The human body's internal pressure is not high enough to cause an
explosion, and human tissue is both elastic and soft enough to "ride
out" a very substantial, very rapid pressure change.

Note the human body's response to very sharp pressure waves:

http://www.ciar.org/ttk/hew/hew/Nwfaq/Nfaq5.html

Section 5.6.2...

"As a general guide, city areas are completely destroyed ... by
overpressures of 5 psi, with heavy damage extending out at least to
the 3 psi contour.

"Humans are actually quite resistant to the direct effect of
overpressure. Pressures of over 40 psi are required before lethal
effects are noted. This pressure resistance makes it possible for
unprotected submarine crews to escape from emergency escape locks at
depths as great as one hundred feet (the record for successful escape
is actually an astonishing 600 feet, representing a pressure of 300
psi). Loss of eardrums can occur, but this is not a life threatening
injury."

There will be local problems with the bends and ruptured ear drums,
but for the most part, living tissue can expand, contract, and vent
rapidly enough to handle a sharp pressure change.

Mike Miller, Materials Engineer