XML 30 R56.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Commitments and Contingencies (Details)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
item
lawsuit
location
Environmental matters  
Number of locations for environmental assessments and remediation 35ecl_NumberOfLocationsForEnvironmentalAssessmentsAndRemediation
Loss contingencies  
Number of open wage hour lawsuits 6ecl_ClaimsWageHourLawsuitsNumber
Number of complaints filed by individuals 23ecl_ComplaintsFiledByIndividuals
Period to appeal court's decision after entry of final judgment under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 30 days
Wage Hour Claims  
Loss contingencies  
Number of lawsuits certified for class action status 2ecl_LawsuitsCertifiedForClassActionStatusNumber
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= ecl_WageHourLitigationMember
Deepwater Horizon Incident | Nalco  
Loss contingencies  
Number of oil dispersants for which the EPA released toxicity data 8ecl_NumberOfOilDispersantsToxicityDataWasReleased
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ecl_NalcoHoldingCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= ecl_DeepwaterHorizonIncidentMember
Number of putative class action complaints filed 6ecl_PutativeClassActionComplaintsFiledNumber
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ecl_NalcoHoldingCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= ecl_DeepwaterHorizonIncidentMember
Number of master complaints naming Nalco and others who responded to the oil spill (known as the "B3 Bundle") 1ecl_NumberOfMasterComplaints
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ecl_NalcoHoldingCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= ecl_DeepwaterHorizonIncidentMember
Number of proposed class action settlements 2ecl_ProposedClassActionSettlementsNumber
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ecl_NalcoHoldingCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= ecl_DeepwaterHorizonIncidentMember