Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2022
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of PresentationThe condensed consolidated financial statements of MSA Safety Incorporated and its subsidiaries ("MSA" or "the Company") are unaudited. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary by management to fairly state the Company's results. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The results reported in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. The December 31, 2021, Balance Sheet data was derived from the audited Consolidated Balance Sheet, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). This Form 10-Q report should be read in conjunction with MSA's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which includes all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP.During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company changed its method of accounting for certain inventory in the United States from the last-in, first-out ("LIFO") method to the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method. The FIFO method of accounting for inventory is preferable because it conforms the Company's entire inventory to a single method of accounting and improves comparability with the Company's peers. The effects of the change in accounting method from LIFO to FIFO have been retrospectively applied to all periods presented in all sections of this Quarterly Report. Refer to Note 4—Inventory of the consolidated financial statements in Part II Item 8 of our 2021 Form 10-K for further information related to the change in accounting principle.