at the coal face

to be situated at the utmost point of advancement, e.g., a role having frontline customer interaction, or one bearing direct responsibility for the work being done; this contrasts with the positions of higher-ups who remain comfortably ensconced in their climate-controlled offices, where nary a speck of coal dust threatens to sully their white collars; related to leading edge,1 but with a grittier, more workmanlike aura

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