Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Standards	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Standards The following accounting standards have been adopted in 2016: On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to reporting extraordinary and unusual items. The changes simplified income statement presentation by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to consolidation. The changes updated consolidation analysis and affected reporting entities that are required to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs. The changes required that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. In August 2015, the FASB added guidance about the presentation and subsequent measurement of debt issuance costs associated with line-of-credit arrangements. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes resulted in the reclassification of approximately $10 million in deferred financing costs from Other assets to Long-term debt on the Company's consolidated balance sheets for all periods presented. The Company recorded approximately $9 million of additional deferred financing costs, net, during 2016 associated with the Company's debt refinancing. See Note 8, Debt and Credit Agreements, for additional information. On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to the determination of whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement is determined to include a software license, then the customer accounts for the software license element consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If the arrangement is determined not to contain a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB simplifying the accounting for measurement period adjustments for business combinations. The changes resulted in an acquirer no longer being required to retrospectively reflect adjustments to provisional amounts during the measurement period as if they were recognized as of the acquisition date. Instead the acquirer would record the effect of the change to the provisional amounts during the measurement period in which the adjustment is identified. The changes also required additional disclosure related to such measurement period adjustments. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements; however in the future will have an effect on how the Company reports adjustments to provisional amounts during the measurement period. In August 2014, the FASB issued changes related to management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. The change became effective for the Company for the annual period ending December 31, 2016. The adoption of this change did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued changes to address eight specific cash flow presentation issues with the objective of reducing diversity in practice. The issues identified include: debt prepayments or extinguishment costs; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (including bank-owned life insurance policies); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. During the fourth quarter of 2016, Management early adopted these changes. As a result of the adoption, the only change to the Consolidated statement of cash flows is that all cash costs related to the early extinguishment of the 5.75% Senior Notes due 2018 (the “Notes”) are reflected as financing activities, whereas prior to the adoption, some companies classified such costs as operating activities. The adoption of these changes did not have any impact in the previously issued financial statements. The following accounting standards have been issued and become effective for the Company at a future date: In May 2014, the FASB issued changes related to the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. The changes clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and develop a common revenue standard. The core principle of the changes is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The changes also require additional disclosures related to revenue recognition. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of these changes by one year, but will permit entities to adopt one year earlier. During 2016, the FASB clarified the implementation guidance for principal versus agent considerations, identifying performance obligations, accounting for intellectual property licenses, collectability, non-cash consideration, the presentation of sales and other similar taxes, introduced practical expedients related to disclosures of remaining performance obligations and other technical corrections and improvements. These changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. Management has not yet finalized its evaluation, but currently believes the most significant impact will be with regard to the timing of revenue recognition associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger product group of the Harsco Industrial Segment and certain equipment sales in the Harsco Rail Segment. The Company currently recognizes revenues on such arrangements upon the completion of the efforts associated with these arrangements, but as a result of these changes, revenue from these arrangements will be recognized over time and increase revenue in earlier periods. Management continues to evaluate the effect of the new standard. In July 2015, the FASB issued changes related to the simplification of the measurement of inventory. The changes require entities to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The changes do not apply to inventories that are measured using either the LIFO method or the retail inventory method. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Management has determined that these changes will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In November 2015, the FASB issued changes that require deferred tax assets and liabilities to be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The changes apply to all entities that present a classified statement of financial position. The current requirement that deferred tax assets and liabilities of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Had these changes been adopted, the Company's working capital would have decreased by approximately $27 million and $38 million at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. In February 2016, the FASB issued changes in accounting for leases. The changes introduce a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet. The changes also align many of the underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in the FASB’s new revenue recognition standard. Furthermore, the changes address other concerns related to the current leases model such as eliminating the requirement in current guidance for an entity to use bright-line tests in determining lease classification. The changes also require lessors to increase the transparency of their exposure to changes in value of their residual assets and how they manage that exposure. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the impact of these changes on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued changes amending the accounting for stock-based compensation and requiring excess tax benefits and shortfalls to be recognized as a component of income tax expense rather than equity. These changes also require excess tax benefits and shortfalls to be presented as an operating activity on the Consolidated statement of cash flows and allows an entity to make an accounting policy election to either estimate expected forfeitures or to account for them as they occur. These changes are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt these changes in the first quarter of 2017 by recording the cumulative impact of applying these changes to retained earnings, which will be approximately $1 million, related to the Company electing to not estimate forfeitures on stock compensation plans but rather recognize forfeitures as they occur. The inclusion of excess tax benefits and shortfalls as a component of the Company’s income tax expense will increase volatility within the provision for income taxes as the amount of excess tax benefits or deficiencies from stock-based compensation awards are dependent on the Company's stock price at the date an award vests. Had the Company adopted these changes at the beginning of 2016, income tax expense would not have been materially impacted for 2016. In October 2016, the FASB issued changes which eliminate the requirement to defer the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset has been sold to an outside party. Under the new guidance, an entity should recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2018 and are to be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Management is currently evaluating the impact of these changes on its consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued changes that add or clarify guidance on the classification and presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2019 with early adoption permitted. Management has determined that these changes will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Standards

The following accounting standards have been adopted in 2016:

On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to reporting extraordinary and unusual items. The changes simplified income statement presentation by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to consolidation. The changes updated consolidation analysis and affected reporting entities that are required to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs. The changes required that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. In August 2015, the FASB added guidance about the presentation and subsequent measurement of debt issuance costs associated with line-of-credit arrangements. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes resulted in the reclassification of approximately $10 million in deferred financing costs from Other assets to Long-term debt on the Company's consolidated balance sheets for all periods presented. The Company recorded approximately $9 million of additional deferred financing costs, net, during 2016 associated with the Company's debt refinancing. See Note 8, Debt and Credit Agreements, for additional information.

On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB related to the determination of whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement is determined to include a software license, then the customer accounts for the software license element consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If the arrangement is determined not to contain a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted changes issued by the FASB simplifying the accounting for measurement period adjustments for business combinations. The changes resulted in an acquirer no longer being required to retrospectively reflect adjustments to provisional amounts during the measurement period as if they were recognized as of the acquisition date. Instead the acquirer would record the effect of the change to the provisional amounts during the measurement period in which the adjustment is identified. The changes also required additional disclosure related to such measurement period adjustments. The changes became effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The adoption of these changes did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements; however in the future will have an effect on how the Company reports adjustments to provisional amounts during the measurement period.

In August 2014, the FASB issued changes related to management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. The change became effective for the Company for the annual period ending December 31, 2016. The adoption of this change did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued changes to address eight specific cash flow presentation issues with the objective of reducing diversity in practice. The issues identified include: debt prepayments or extinguishment costs; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (including bank-owned life insurance policies); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. During the fourth quarter of 2016, Management early adopted these changes. As a result of the adoption, the only change to the Consolidated statement of cash flows is that all cash costs related to the early extinguishment of the 5.75% Senior Notes due 2018 (the “Notes”) are reflected as financing activities, whereas prior to the adoption, some companies classified such costs as operating activities. The adoption of these changes did not have any impact in the previously issued financial statements.

The following accounting standards have been issued and become effective for the Company at a future date:

In May 2014, the FASB issued changes related to the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. The changes clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and develop a common revenue standard. The core principle of the changes is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The changes also require additional disclosures related to revenue recognition. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of these changes by one year, but will permit entities to adopt one year earlier. During 2016, the FASB clarified the implementation guidance for principal versus agent considerations, identifying performance obligations, accounting for intellectual property licenses, collectability, non-cash consideration, the presentation of sales and other similar taxes, introduced practical expedients related to disclosures of remaining performance obligations and other technical corrections and improvements. These changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. Management has not yet finalized its evaluation, but currently believes the most significant impact will be with regard to the timing of revenue recognition associated with the air-cooled heat exchanger product group of the Harsco Industrial Segment and certain equipment sales in the Harsco Rail Segment. The Company currently recognizes revenues on such arrangements upon the completion of the efforts associated with these arrangements, but as a result of these changes, revenue from these arrangements will be recognized over time and increase revenue in earlier periods. Management continues to evaluate the effect of the new standard.

In July 2015, the FASB issued changes related to the simplification of the measurement of inventory. The changes require entities to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The changes do not apply to inventories that are measured using either the LIFO method or the retail inventory method. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Management has determined that these changes will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued changes that require deferred tax assets and liabilities to be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The changes apply to all entities that present a classified statement of financial position. The current requirement that deferred tax assets and liabilities of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Had these changes been adopted, the Company's working capital would have decreased by approximately $27 million and $38 million at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

In February 2016, the FASB issued changes in accounting for leases. The changes introduce a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet. The changes also align many of the underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in the FASB’s new revenue recognition standard. Furthermore, the changes address other concerns related to the current leases model such as eliminating the requirement in current guidance for an entity to use bright-line tests in determining lease classification. The changes also require lessors to increase the transparency of their exposure to changes in value of their residual assets and how they manage that exposure. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the impact of these changes on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued changes amending the accounting for stock-based compensation and requiring excess tax benefits and shortfalls to be recognized as a component of income tax expense rather than equity. These changes also require excess tax benefits and shortfalls to be presented as an operating activity on the Consolidated statement of cash flows and allows an entity to make an accounting policy election to either estimate expected forfeitures or to account for them as they occur. These changes are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt these changes in the first quarter of 2017 by recording the cumulative impact of applying these changes to retained earnings, which will be approximately $1 million, related to the Company electing to not estimate forfeitures on stock compensation plans but rather recognize forfeitures as they occur. The inclusion of excess tax benefits and shortfalls as a component of the Company’s income tax expense will increase volatility within the provision for income taxes as the amount of excess tax benefits or deficiencies from stock-based compensation awards are dependent on the Company's stock price at the date an award vests. Had the Company adopted these changes at the beginning of 2016, income tax expense would not have been materially impacted for 2016.

In October 2016, the FASB issued changes which eliminate the requirement to defer the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset has been sold to an outside party. Under the new guidance, an entity should recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2018 and are to be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Management is currently evaluating the impact of these changes on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued changes that add or clarify guidance on the classification and presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2019 with early adoption permitted. Management has determined that these changes will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.