2.2.0.25falsefalse1140 - Disclosure - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIEStruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $D2010http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000031462duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00PureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDPerShareDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0SharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2true0ecl_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstracteclfalsenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalseCOMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES3false0us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1falsefalsefalse00<table style="font-size:10pt; font-family:'Times New Roman',times,serif;"><tr> <td> <div style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt dotted"> <p style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES</div>   The company is subject to various claims and contingencies related to, among other things, workers compensation, general liability, automobile claims, health care claims, lawsuits, environmental matters and income taxes. The company also has contractual obligations including lease commitments.   The company records liabilities where a contingent loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. If the reasonable estimate of a probable loss is a range, the company records the most probable estimate of the loss or the minimum amount when no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount. The company discloses a contingent liability even if the liability is not probable or the amount is not estimable, or both, if there is a reasonable possibility that a material loss may have been incurred.   Insurance: The company has high deductible insurance policies in the U.S. for workers compensation, general liability and automotive liability losses subject to per occurrence and aggregate annual liability limitations. The company is insured for losses in excess of these limitations. The company has recorded both a liability and an offsetting receivable for amounts in excess of these limitations. The company is self-insured for health care claims for eligible participating employees subject to certain deductibles and limitations. The company determines its liability for claims incurred but not reported on an actuarial basis. Outside of the U.S. the company is fully insured for losses, subject to annual deductibles.  Litigation: The company and certain subsidiaries are party to various lawsuits, claims and environmental actions that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. These include from time to time antitrust, patent infringement, product liability and wage hour lawsuits, as well as possible obligations to investigate and mitigate the effects on the environment of the disposal or release of certain chemical substances at various sites, such as Superfund sites and other operating or closed facilities. Because litigation is inherently uncertain, and unfavorable rulings or developments could occur, there can be no certainty that the company may not ultimately incur charges in excess of presently recorded liabilities. A future adverse ruling, settlement or unfavorable development could result in future charges that could have a material adverse effect on the companys results of operations or cash flows in the period in which they are recorded. The company currently believes that such future charges related to suits and legal claims, if any, would not have a material adverse effect on the companys consolidated financial position.  The company is a defendant in two wage hour lawsuits claiming violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or a similar state law. One of the suits seeks certification of a national class and the other certification of a state class of certain Institutional division associates. Neither of the suits has been certified for class-action status. The suits are still in their initial phases.   Environmental matters: The company is currently participating in environmental assessments and remediation at twenty locations and environmental liabilities have been accrued reflecting managements best estimate of future costs. The companys reserve for environmental remediation costs was approximately $3 million and $4 million at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Potential insurance reimbursements are not anticipated in the companys accruals for environmental liabilities.   Lease commitments: Information on the companys lease commitments and future minimum rental commitments under non-cancelable operating leases are disclosed in Note 12.   Taxes: The company is subject to ongoing tax audits in tax jurisdictions around the world. See Note 11 for further information on the companys income taxes.</td></tr></table> 14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES   The company is subject to various claims and contingencies related to, among other things, workers compensation,falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringIncludes disclosure of commitments and contingencies. This element may be used as a single block of text to encapsulate the entire disclosure including data and tables.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 14 -Paragraph 3 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12 falsefalseCOMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES12COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIESUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue