Fair Values of Pension Plan Assets (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 276,863	[1]	$ 243,324	[1]
Cash
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	408		432
Money Market Funds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	361		2,987
Equity Securities | Managed Volatility
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	66,413	[2]
Equity Securities | U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	16,543	[3]	18,290	[3]
Equity Securities | World Equity Exclude United States
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	27,257	[4]	42,260	[4]
Equity Securities | Common Equity Securities - Teleflex Incorporated
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	8,336		7,165
Equity Securities | Diversified United Kingdom Equity
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	6,681		5,681
Equity Securities | Diversified Global Exclude United Kingdom
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	3,267		2,860
Equity Securities | U.S. Large-Cap Disciplined Equity
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets			67,089	[5]
Fixed Income Investments | Long Duration Bond Fund
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	73,370	[4]	71,057	[4]
Fixed Income Investments | High Yield Bond Fund
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	10,896	[6]
Fixed Income Investments | Emerging Markets Bonds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	8,453	[7]
Fixed Income Investments | Corporate, Government And Foreign Bonds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	5,675		2,573
Fixed Income Investments | Asset Backed - Home Loans
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	1,005		1,008
Other Investments | Structured Credit
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	26,828	[8]
Other Investments | Hedge Fund Of Funds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	21,365	[9]	20,624	[9]
Other Investments | Other Credit Derivatives
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	5		531
Other Investments | General Fund - Japan
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets			767
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1)
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	221,985	[1]	217,821	[1]
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Cash
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	408		432
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Money Market Funds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	361		2,987
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Managed Volatility
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	66,413	[2]
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	16,543	[3]	18,290	[3]
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | World Equity Exclude United States
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	27,257	[4]	42,260	[4]
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Common Equity Securities - Teleflex Incorporated
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	8,336		7,165
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Diversified United Kingdom Equity
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	6,681		5,681
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Diversified Global Exclude United Kingdom
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	3,267		2,860
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | U.S. Large-Cap Disciplined Equity
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets			67,089	[5]
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | Long Duration Bond Fund
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	73,370	[4]	71,057	[4]
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | High Yield Bond Fund
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	10,896	[6]
Quoted Prices In Active Markets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | Emerging Markets Bonds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	8,453	[7]
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	6,680	[1]	4,348	[1]
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | Corporate, Government And Foreign Bonds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	5,675		2,573
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | Asset Backed - Home Loans
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	1,005		1,008
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Other Investments | General Fund - Japan
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets			767
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	48,198	[1]	21,155	[1]
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | Structured Credit
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	26,828	[8]
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | Hedge Fund Of Funds
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	21,365	[9]	20,624	[9]
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | Other Credit Derivatives
Schedule of Pension Plan Assets by Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 5		$ 531

[1] Including those related to divested businesses. See Note 19, "Divestiture-related activities" for additional information.

[2] This category comprises a mutual fund that invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of large companies. These securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, exchange traded funds based on a large cap equity index and derivative instruments whose value is based on an underlying equity security or a basket of equity securities. The fund invests primarily in common stocks of U.S. companies with market capitalizations in the range of companies in the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index).

[3] This category comprises a mutual fund that invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of foreign companies. These securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, exchange traded funds based on an international equity index and derivative instruments whose value is based on an international equity index and derivative instruments whose value is based on an underlying equity security or a basket of equity securities. The fund invests in securities of foreign issuers located in developed and emerging market countries. However, the fund will not invest more than 30% of its assets in the common stocks or other equity securities of issuers located in emerging market countries.

[4] This category comprises a mutual fund that invests in instruments or derivatives having economic characteristics similar to fixed income securities. The fund invests in investment grade fixed income instruments, including securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, exchange traded funds, mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage-backed securities. The fund invests primarily in long duration government and corporate fixed income securities, and uses derivative instruments, including interest rate swap agreements and Treasury futures contracts, for the purpose of managing the overall duration and yield curve exposure of the Fund's portfolio of fixed income securities.

[5] This category comprises a mutual fund that invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of small and mid-sized companies. The fund invests in common stocks or exchange traded funds holding common stock of U.S. companies with market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2500 Index.

[6] This category comprises a mutual fund that invests at least 80% of its net assets in higher-yielding fixed income securities, including corporate bonds and debentures, convertible and preferred securities and zero coupon obligations.

[7] This category comprises a mutual fund that invests at least 80% of its net assets in fixed income securities of emerging market issuers, primarily in U.S. dollar-denominated debt of foreign governments, government-related and corporate issuers in emerging market countries and entities organized to restructure the debt of those issuers.

[8] This category comprises of a fund that invests primarily in collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs") and other structured credit vehicles. The fund investments may include fixed income securities, loan participants, credit-linked notes, medium-term notes, pooled investment vehicles and derivative instruments.

[9] This category comprises a hedge fund that invests in various other hedge funds. As of December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011: • approximately 22% and 20%, respectively, of the assets of the hedge fund were invested in equity hedge based funds, including equity long/short and equity market neutral strategies; • approximately 30% and 27%, respectively, of the assets were held in tactical/directional based funds, including global macro, long/short equity, commodity and systematic quantitative strategies; • approximately 25% and 29%, respectively, of the assets were held in relative value based funds, including convertible and fixed income arbitrage, credit long/short and volatility arbitrage strategies; • approximately 17% and 17%, respectively, of the assets were held in funds with an event driven strategy; and • approximately 6% and 7%, respectively, of the assets were held in cash.