Smalley v. American Can Co.

OPINION

WAHL, Justice.

This is an appeal from a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals reversing a compensation judge’s award of permanent partial disability compensation for a noise-induced hearing loss. We reverse and reinstate the decision of the compensation judge.

Since 1964, Herman Smalley (employee) has worked for the American Can Company as a production mechanic, a job which exposed him to hazardous noise on a daily basis. American Can Company supplied its employees with protective hearing devices in the early 1980’s. In the spring of 1985, American Can Company conducted…