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Pension Benefit Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Expense for all defined benefit and defined contributions pension plans $ 210us-gaap_PostemploymentBenefitsPeriodExpense $ 193us-gaap_PostemploymentBenefitsPeriodExpense $ 181us-gaap_PostemploymentBenefitsPeriodExpense
Pension Benefit Plans      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Unrecognized net prior service credits, before tax 1us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeNetPriorServiceCostCreditBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Unrecognized net prior service credits, net of tax 1us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeNetPriorServiceCostCreditAfterTax
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Unrecognized actuarial losses, before tax 1,100us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeNetGainsLossesBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Unrecognized actuarial losses, net of tax 720us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeNetGainsLossesAfterTax
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Future amortization of prior service cost (credit) 0.2us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfPriorServiceCostCredit
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Prior service credits expected to be recognized accumulated comprehensive income in net periodic pension cost, net of tax 0.1dhr_PriorServiceCreditsExpectedToBeRecognizedAccumulatedComprehensiveIncomeInNetPeriodicPensionCostNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Prior service credits expected to be recognized accumulated comprehensive income in net periodic pension cost, before tax 43us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfGainLoss
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Actuarial loss expected to be recognized accumulated comprehensive income in net periodic pension cost, net of tax 30dhr_ActuarialLossExpectedToBeRecognizedAccumulatedComprehensiveIncomeInNetPeriodicPensionCostNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
U.S. Pension Benefits      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Long-term rate of return on asset assumptions 7.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
7.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
7.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
Percentage of plan assets in equity portfolios, minimum 60.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocationsRangeMinimum
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
   
Percentage of plan assets in equity portfolios, maximum 70.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocationsRangeMaximum
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
   
Employer contributions 51.8us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
4.3us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
 
Expected employer contributions within the next year 25us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
   
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Long-term rate of return on asset assumptions 4.80%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
4.65%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
 
Weighted average rate of return assumption 4.80%dhr_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostWeightedAverageRateOfReturn
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
4.65%dhr_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostWeightedAverageRateOfReturn
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
 
Employer contributions 61.8us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
53.4us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
 
Expected employer contributions within the next year $ 55us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
   
Minimum | Non-U.S. Pension Benefits      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Long-term rate of return on asset assumptions 1.25%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
1.25%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
 
Maximum | Non-U.S. Pension Benefits      
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]      
Long-term rate of return on asset assumptions 7.10%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
6.70%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember