Amount charged against earnings in the period for incurred and estimated costs associated with exit from or disposal of business activities or restructurings pursuant to a duly authorized plan, excluding asset retirement obligations.

+ References+ Details

The charge against earnings in the period for known and estimated costs of termination benefits provided to current employees that are involuntarily terminated under a benefit arrangement associated with exit from or disposal of business activities or restructurings pursuant to a duly authorized plan, excluding costs or losses pertaining to an entity newly acquired in a business combination or a discontinued operation as defined by generally accepted accounting principles and costs associated with one-time termination benefits.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 146

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

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Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Restructuring and Other Charges - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Nexus Plan	Sep. 30, 2013 Nexus Plan	Sep. 30, 2013 Workforce-related	Sep. 30, 2012 Workforce-related Employee	Sep. 30, 2011 Workforce-related	Sep. 30, 2013 Workforce-related Brooks Product Solutions	Sep. 30, 2012 Workforce-related Brooks Product Solutions	Sep. 30, 2013 Workforce-related Brooks Global Services	Sep. 30, 2012 Workforce-related Brooks Global Services	Sep. 30, 2011 Workforce-related Brooks Global Services	Sep. 30, 2013 Workforce-related Brooks Life Science Systems	Sep. 30, 2012 Workforce-related Brooks Life Science Systems Employee	Sep. 30, 2013 Workforce-related Corporate Support functions	Sep. 30, 2012 Workforce-related Corporate Support functions	Sep. 30, 2011 Workforce-related Corporate Support functions	Sep. 30, 2013 Workforce-related Polycold Manufacturing Operation	Sep. 30, 2013 Facilities and other	Sep. 30, 2011 Facilities and other Employee	Sep. 30, 2011 Corporate management
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and other charges	$ 6,465,000	$ 3,275,000	$ 1,036,000
Restructuring charges	6,378,000		1,036,000			5,560,000	3,275,000	726,000	2,600,000	1,300,000	1,100,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	400,000	300,000	1,500,000	700,000	700,000	1,300,000	818,000	310,000
Number of employees impacted by workforce reductions							0								0						0
Partial settlement of defined pension plan				100,000	100,000
Severance cost	600,000																					400,000
Unpaid severance expected to be paid in 2014						800,000
Unpaid severance expected to be paid in 2015						$ 500,000