PENSION, PROFIT SHARING AND OTHER BENEFIT PLANS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2009	Sep. 30, 2012
Deferred Compensation Plans
Minimum period in which members of management may elect to defer receiving payment for a portion of their compensation (in years)	5
Interest rate adjustment semi-annually (as a percent)	2.50%
Defined Contribution Plans
Contribution discretionary with board of director	0.5
Company contributions to defined contribution plan	$ 18,400,000	$ 15,900,000	$ 15,400,000
Amounts recognized in Accumulated OCI
Deferred tax asset	15,137,000	13,204,000
Adjustment to pension liability	(28,392,000)	(24,523,000)
Ranges for each major category of the plans' assets
Equity securities, target allocation percentage, minimum (as a percent)	40.00%
Equity securities, target allocation percentage, maximum (as a percent)	75.00%
Debt securities, target allocation percentage, minimum (as a percent)	25.00%
Debt securities, target allocation percentage, maximum (as a percent)	60.00%
Real estate and cash, target allocation percentage, minimum (as a percent)	0.00%
Real estate and cash, target allocation percentage, maximum (as a percent)	10.00%
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Number of European employees covered by contributory defined benefit pension plan for which benefits were frozen (as a percent)		50.00%
Curtailment charge		689,000
Expected contribution to defined benefit pension plans in next fiscal year				4,300,000
Unrecognized actuarial loss expected to be recognized in net pension cost over next fiscal year	1,400,000
Unrecognized actuarial loss expected to be recognized in net pension cost over next fiscal year, net of tax	900,000
Projected benefit obligation, ABO and fair value of plan assets for the defined benefit pension plans in which the ABO was in excess of the fair value of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation	182,542,000	180,711,000
Accumulated benefit obligation	177,406,000	175,995,000
Fair value of plan assets	144,319,000	143,696,000
Change in benefit obligations:
Net benefit obligation at the beginning of the year	180,711,000	164,622,000
Service cost	521,000	3,972,000	2,521,000
Interest cost	9,233,000	9,034,000	9,679,000
Actuarial (gain) loss	(1,984,000)	8,269,000
Curtailments		226,000
Participant contributions		1,210,000
Gross benefits paid	(5,236,000)	(5,562,000)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	(703,000)	(1,060,000)
Net benefit obligation at the end of the year	182,542,000	180,711,000	164,622,000
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at the beginning of the year	143,696,000	132,408,000
Actual return on plan assets	1,501,000	13,614,000
Employer contributions	5,352,000	3,374,000
Participant contributions		1,210,000
Gross benefits paid	(5,236,000)	(5,562,000)
Administrative expenses	(470,000)	(555,000)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	(524,000)	(793,000)
Fair value of plan assets at the end of the year	144,319,000	143,696,000	132,408,000
Unfunded status of the plans	(38,223,000)	(37,015,000)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	43,529,000	37,727,000
Net amount recognized	5,306,000	712,000
Amounts recognized in Accumulated OCI
Liability adjustment to OCI	(43,529,000)	(37,727,000)
Deferred tax asset	15,137,000	13,204,000
Adjustment to pension liability	(28,392,000)	(24,523,000)
Components of net periodic pension cost
Service cost	521,000	3,972,000	2,521,000
Interest cost	9,233,000	9,034,000	9,679,000
Expected return on plan assets	(9,979,000)	(9,334,000)	(9,569,000)
Amortization of actuarial loss	832,000	850,000
Curtailment charge		689,000
Administrative expenses	85,000	92,000	100,000
Net pension cost	$ 692,000	$ 5,303,000	$ 2,731,000
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation at the end of the year
Discount rate (as a percent)	5.20%	5.20%	5.60%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.30%	4.30%	4.50%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost at the end of the year
Discount rate (as a percent)	5.20%	5.60%	7.30%
Expected return on plan assets (as a percent)	7.00%	7.20%	7.80%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.30%	4.50%	4.80%