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Segment Information - Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services (Details) (Sales)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Fix Gas & Flame Detection Instruments
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Concentration risk (percentage)	23.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_FixGasFlameDetectionInstrumentsMember	22.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_FixGasFlameDetectionInstrumentsMember	20.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_FixGasFlameDetectionInstrumentsMember
Breathing Apparatus
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Concentration risk (percentage)	19.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_BreathingApparatusMember	21.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_BreathingApparatusMember	20.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_BreathingApparatusMember
Portable Instruments
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Concentration risk (percentage)	15.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_PortableInstrumentsMember	14.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_PortableInstrumentsMember	13.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_PortableInstrumentsMember
Head Protection
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Concentration risk (percentage)	13.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_HeadProtectionMember	13.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_HeadProtectionMember	11.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_HeadProtectionMember
Fall Protection
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Concentration risk (percentage)	4.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_FallProtectionMember	4.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_FallProtectionMember	4.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_FallProtectionMember
Other Products
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Concentration risk (percentage)	26.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_OtherProductsMember	26.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_OtherProductsMember	32.00%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1 / us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis = us-gaap_SalesMember / us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis = msa_OtherProductsMember

X

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 21

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13537-108611



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 275

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 20

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6404-108592



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 20

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13531-108611



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 275

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 18

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6351-108592

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