Restructuring Reserves (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance		$ 53.4		$ 40.5		$ 31.1
Costs incurred		90.7	[1]	253.7	[2]	81.0
Reserves reversed	[3]	(14.4)		(5.8)		(3.0)
Payments		(96.6)		(232.6)		(69.1)
Currency translation		(1.8)		(2.4)		0.5
Ending balance		31.3		53.4		40.5
Loss (Gain) on Divestiture of Businesses		(7.6)		(895.4)		0.0
Restructuring and Related Costs, Non-Cash Costs (Income), Net		1.1		19.9
Loss (Gain) Related to Litigation-related Matter		24.7
Severance [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance		37.7		28.6		20.0
Costs incurred		57.0		140.8		57.7
Reserves reversed	[3]	(11.7)		(5.5)		(2.6)
Payments		(66.6)		(124.1)		(47.0)
Currency translation		(1.2)		(2.1)		0.5
Ending balance		$ 15.2		37.7		28.6
Restructuring Reserve, Expected Final Year of Payments		2016
Abandonment of Excess Facilities [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance		$ 9.8		9.4		8.3
Costs incurred		19.1		10.5		10.3
Reserves reversed	[3]	(0.5)		(0.1)		(0.1)
Payments		(15.0)		(10.4)		(9.1)
Currency translation		(0.3)		0.4
Ending balance		$ 13.1		9.8		9.4
Restructuring Reserve, Expected Final Year of Payments		2020
Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	[4]	$ 5.9		2.5		2.8
Costs incurred	[4]	14.6		102.4		13.0
Reserves reversed	[3],[4]	(2.2)		(0.2)		(0.3)
Payments	[4]	(15.0)		(98.1)		(13.0)
Currency translation	[4]	(0.3)		(0.7)
Ending balance	[4]	$ 3.0		5.9		2.5
Restructuring Reserve, Expected Final Year of Payments		2016
Monetized Equity Awards [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Restructuring and Related Costs, Non-Cash Costs (Income), Net				19.6
Life Sciences Solutions [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Costs incurred		$ 40.4		232.0		$ 4.4
Loss (Gain) on Divestiture of Businesses		(7.6)		(760.3)
Loss (Gain) Related to Litigation-related Matter		20.0		9.3
Impairment of Acquired Technology in Development		14.9
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Severance [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Costs incurred		23.7
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Abandonment of Excess Facilities [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Costs incurred		4.1		5.5
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Costs incurred		$ 6.7
Life Sciences Solutions [Member] | Monetized Equity Awards [Member]
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Costs incurred				$ 91.7

[1] Excludes $24.7 million of provision for losses on litigation-related matters; $14.9 million of impairment of acquired technology in development; a $7.6 million gain on the sale of a product line; $5.0 million of cash compensation contractually due to employees of an acquired business on the date of acquisition; $0.9 million of charges associated with a previous sale of a business; and an aggregate of $1.1 million of non-cash charges, net.

[2] Excludes a $895.4 million net gain on the sale of businesses, principally the company’s sera and media, gene modulation and magnetic beads businesses and the Cole-Parmer business; $19.6 million of cash compensation to monetize certain equity awards held by Life Technologies’ employees at the date of acquisition that was paid by Life Technologies prior to the acquisition; $9.3 million of provision for losses on pre-acquisition litigation-related matters of Life Technologies; and an aggregate of $19.9 million of non-cash charges, net.

[3] Represents reductions in cost of plans.

[4] Other includes cash charges to monetize certain equity awards held by employees of Life Technologies at the date of acquisition, relocation and moving expenses associated with facility consolidations, as well as employee retention costs which are accrued ratably over the period through which employees must work to qualify for a payment.