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Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 4 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 Vendor LegalMatter | Jan. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 LegalMatter
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of lawsuits | 2,237us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber |  | 2,326us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber |  | 2,840us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber
Loss contingency, years of activity | 5 years |  |  |  |
Number of insurance carriers | 20msa_MinimumNumberOfInsuranceCarriers |  |  |  |
Increase in insurance settlements receivable | $ 97.3us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInsuranceSettlementsReceivable |  |  |  |
Insurance receivables | 222.1us-gaap_InsuranceSettlementsReceivable |  | 220.5us-gaap_InsuranceSettlementsReceivable |  | 124.8us-gaap_InsuranceSettlementsReceivable
Insurance receivables, current | 2.0us-gaap_InsuranceSettlementsReceivableCurrent |  | 2.0us-gaap_InsuranceSettlementsReceivableCurrent |  |
Insurance receivables, noncurrent | 220.1us-gaap_InsuranceSettlementsReceivableNoncurrent |  | 218.5us-gaap_InsuranceSettlementsReceivableNoncurrent |  |
Single Incident |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Reserves for product liability claims | 3.6msa_LossContingencyProductLiabilityClaimReserve / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_SingleIncidentMember |  | 3.5msa_LossContingencyProductLiabilityClaimReserve / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_SingleIncidentMember |  |
Product liability expense | 0.3us-gaap_ProductLiabilityAccrualPeriodExpense / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_SingleIncidentMember |  |  |  |
Cumulative Trauma |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability expense |  |  | 169.6us-gaap_ProductLiabilityAccrualPeriodExpense / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_CumulativeTraumaMember |  |
Litigation settlement amount |  | 71.8us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_CumulativeTraumaMember |  |  |
Loss contingency accrual, product liability, net | 72.3us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProductLiabilityNet / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_CumulativeTraumaMember |  | 74.9us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProductLiabilityNet / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_CumulativeTraumaMember |  |
Uninsured Cumulative Trauma |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Product liability expense | 0.1us-gaap_ProductLiabilityAccrualPeriodExpense / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_UninsuredCumulativeTraumaMember |  |  | 2.1us-gaap_ProductLiabilityAccrualPeriodExpense / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_UninsuredCumulativeTraumaMember |
Other Noncurrent Liabilities | Cumulative Trauma |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency accrual, product liability, net | $ 17.6us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProductLiabilityNet / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentLiabilitiesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_CumulativeTraumaMember |  | $ 35.1us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProductLiabilityNet / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentLiabilitiesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = msa_CumulativeTraumaMember |  |

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- Definition Loss Contingency, Years of Activity + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Minimum number of insurance carriers. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) during the reporting period in insurance settlements receivable, which are amounts due in settlement of a claim for reimbursement from an insurance company when the Company has suffered a loss covered under an insurance policy. The expectation is that such reimbursement will be received within one year of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 + Details
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- Definition Amount due in settlement of a claim for reimbursement from an insurance company when the Company has suffered a loss covered under an insurance policy. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount due in settlement of a claim for reimbursement from an insurance company when the Company has suffered a loss covered under an insurance policy. For classified balance sheets, represents the current amount receivable, that is amounts expected to be collected within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.8) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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- Definition Carrying amount due after one year of the balance sheet date (or one operating cycle, if longer) of amount due in settlement of a claim for reimbursement from an insurance company when the Company has suffered a loss covered under an insurance policy. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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- Definition Present value of the estimated aggregate accrual for damages arising from third-party use of the entity's product(s) or process(es) as of the balance sheet date (if the accrual qualifies for discounting). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.Y.Q1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011672&loc=d3e149879-122751 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section Y -Paragraph Question 1 + Details
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- Definition Number of pending claims pertaining to a loss contingency. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 + Details
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- Definition The amount of loss reported during the period pertaining to product liability. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 + Details
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- Details
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