Employee Benefit Plans (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	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.