Soil conservation and replacement can be key factors in the sustainable use of land following mineral extraction. The earth-moving equipment and the methodology used can determine the character and functioning of the rehabilitated soil ecosystem. Practical guidance for the handling of soils by different earthmoving machines was published by the UK's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 2000. It was in a form which could be understood and used by professionals and machine operators alike and has been widely used across the minerals industry for almost twenty years. Since its publication, there have been significant changes in the availability of machines, health and safety considerations, and alternative practice. As a prelude to the updating of the Guidance, to be published in early 2019, this paper considers the influence that current safe operation practice, equipment capability and planning policy might have on the choice of earth-moving equipment and methodology.