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Employee Benefit Plans (Details 4) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |  | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2010 Other expense | Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum | Dec. 31, 2011 Minimum | Dec. 31, 2010 Minimum | Dec. 31, 2012 Cumberland MD Vicinity Building Construction Employees Trust Fund Minimum | Dec. 31, 2011 Cumberland MD Vicinity Building Construction Employees Trust Fund Minimum | Dec. 31, 2010 Cumberland MD Vicinity Building Construction Employees Trust Fund Minimum | Jun. 30, 2012 New Zealand Steel Pension Fund | Jun. 30, 2011 New Zealand Steel Pension Fund | Dec. 31, 2012 New Zealand Steel Pension Fund Minimum | Dec. 31, 2011 New Zealand Steel Pension Fund Minimum | Dec. 31, 2010 New Zealand Steel Pension Fund Minimum | Dec. 31, 2012 All other multiemployer plans | Dec. 31, 2011 All other multiemployer plans | Dec. 31, 2010 All other multiemployer plans | Dec. 31, 2012 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Cumberland MD Vicinity Building Construction Employees Trust Fund | Dec. 31, 2011 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Cumberland MD Vicinity Building Construction Employees Trust Fund | Dec. 31, 2010 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Cumberland MD Vicinity Building Construction Employees Trust Fund | Dec. 31, 2012 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters' Pension Fund | Dec. 31, 2011 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters' Pension Fund | Dec. 31, 2010 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters' Pension Fund | Dec. 31, 2012 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Ohio Carpenters' Pension Plan | Dec. 31, 2011 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Ohio Carpenters' Pension Plan | Dec. 31, 2010 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is publicly available outside the Company's financial statements Ohio Carpenters' Pension Plan | Dec. 31, 2012 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is not publicly available outside the Company's financial statements New Zealand Steel Pension Fund | Dec. 31, 2011 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is not publicly available outside the Company's financial statements New Zealand Steel Pension Fund | Dec. 31, 2010 Significant multiemployer plans for which plan financial information is not publicly available outside the Company's financial statements New Zealand Steel Pension Fund
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Minimum contribution to the plan in a plan year to classify it as a significant plan as a percent of total contributions (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00% | 5.00% | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contributions By The Company | $ 15,814,000 | [1],[2] | $ 20,281,000 | [1],[2] | $ 17,157,000 | [1],[2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 12,489,000 | [1] | $ 16,418,000 | [1] | $ 13,602,000 | [1] | $ 472,000 | [1] | $ 477,000 | [1] | $ 556,000 | [1] | $ 1,176,000 | [1] | $ 1,542,000 | [1] | $ 1,412,000 | [1] | $ 768,000 | [1] | $ 953,000 | [1] | $ 777,000 | [1] | $ 909,000 | [1] | $ 891,000 | [1] | $ 810,000 | [1]
Withdrawal cost related to multi-employer plans withdrawn or plans to withdraw |  |  |  |  | 8,300,000 |  | 8,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Multi-employer Plan, Period Contributions Percentage Threshold |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00% | 5.00% | 5.00% |  |  | 5.00% | 5.00% | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 252,500,000 | 253,900,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total actuarial present value of accumulated plan benefits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 283,700,000 | 278,400,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total contributions for all participating employers |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 10,600,000 | $ 11,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
[1] | These amounts represent either contributions for the plan year as confirmed by plan sponsors or the Company's estimates based on its fiscal year accounts payable records which will be updated as confirmation is received from plan sponsors.
[2] | Contributions to multiemployer pension plans in 2010 do not include $8.3 million of plan withdrawal costs triggered as the Company has ceased, or expects to cease, contributing to ten multiemployer plans for certain locations as part of the Harsco Infrastructure Segment's restructuring initiatives. These restructuring initiatives are described in Note 18, Restructuring Programs. The $8.3 million of costs is included in the Other expenses line of the Consolidated Statements of Operations, as described in Note 16, Other Expenses.

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- Definition Represents the contributions made by the entity as a percentage of total contributions to multiemployer plans for the three most recently completed plan years. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of contributions made to multiemployer plans by the employer. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 80 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=14450570&loc=SL14450702-114947 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 80 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=14450570&loc=SL14450691-114947 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 80 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph (e)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=14450570&loc=SL14450657-114947 + Details
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- Definition Amount of plan assets attributable to the pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 80 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=14450570&loc=SL14450678-114947 + Details
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- Definition Amount of contributions made to the multiemployer plan by all employers who participate in the plan. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 80 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=14450570&loc=SL14450678-114947 + Details
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