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Commitments and contingent liabilities | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2012
Commitments and contingent liabilities | Note 13 — Commitments and contingent liabilities Product warranty liability: The Company warrants to the original purchasers of certain of its products that it will, at its option, repair or replace such products, without charge, if they fail due to a manufacturing defect. Warranty periods vary by product. The Company has recourse provisions for certain products that would enable recovery from third parties for amounts paid under the warranty. The Company accrues for product warranties when, based on available information, it is probable that customers will make claims under warranties relating to products that have been sold, and a reasonable estimate of the costs (based on historical claims experience relative to sales) can be made. The following table provides information regarding changes in the Company’s product warranty liability accruals for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 (dollars in thousands):
Balance — December 31, 2011 |  | $ | 7,935 |
Accruals for warranties issued in 2012 |  |  | 72 |
Settlements (cash and in kind)(a) |  |  | (6,305 | )
Accruals related to pre-existing warranties(a) |  |  | (1,255 | )
Translation |  |  | (20 | )
Balance — September 30, 2012 |  | $ | 427 |
(a) | Including those related to divested businesses. See Note 16, “Divestiture-related activities” for additional information.
Operating leases: The Company uses various leased facilities and equipment in its operations. The terms for these leased assets vary depending on the lease agreement. At September 30, 2012, the Company had no residual value guarantees related to its operating leases. Environmental: The Company is subject to contingencies as a result of environmental laws and regulations that in the future may require the Company to take further action to correct the effects on the environment of prior disposal practices or releases of chemical or petroleum substances by the Company or other parties. Much of this liability results from the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), often referred to as Superfund, the U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and similar state laws. These laws require the Company to undertake certain investigative and remedial activities at sites where the Company conducts or once conducted operations or at sites where Company-generated waste was disposed. Remediation activities vary substantially in duration and cost from site to site. These activities, and their associated costs, depend on the mix of unique site characteristics, evolving remediation technologies, the regulatory agencies involved and their enforcement policies, as well as the presence or absence of other potentially responsible parties. At September 30, 2012, the Company has recorded approximately $2.6 million in accrued liabilities and approximately $6.3 million in other liabilities relating to these matters. Considerable uncertainty exists with respect to these liabilities and, if adverse changes in circumstances occur, potential liability may exceed the amount accrued as of September 30, 2012. The time frame over which the accrued amounts may be paid out, based on past history, is estimated to be 15-20 years. Litigation: The Company is a party to various lawsuits and claims arising in the normal course of business. These lawsuits and claims include actions involving product liability, intellectual property, employment and environmental matters. Based on information currently available, advice of counsel, established reserves and other resources, the Company does not believe that any such actions are likely to be, individually or in the aggregate, material to its business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. However, litigation is subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of litigation is not predictable with assurance. An adverse outcome in current or future litigation could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Legal costs such as outside counsel fees and expenses are charged to expense in the period incurred. Tax audits and examinations: The Company and its subsidiaries are routinely subject to tax examinations by various taxing authorities. As of September 30, 2012, the most significant tax examinations in process are in Canada, the Czech Republic, France and Austria. In conjunction with these examinations and as a regular and routine practice, the Company may determine a need to establish certain reserves or to adjust existing reserves with respect to uncertain tax positions. Accordingly, developments occurring with respect to these examinations, including resolution of uncertain tax positions, could result in increases or decreases to the Company’s recorded tax liabilities, which could impact the Company’s financial results. Other: The Company has various purchase commitments for materials, supplies and items of permanent investment incident to the ordinary conduct of its business. On average, such commitments are not at prices in excess of current market.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6952336&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 14 -Paragraph 3 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394976&loc=d3e25287-109308 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.25) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6449706&loc=d3e16207-108621 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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