R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-22
There is created within the department of labor and training a code commission for occupational safety and health, consisting of five (5) members, of whom two (2) shall represent industry, two (2) shall represent labor, and one shall represent the public and shall serve as chairperson of the commission. The representatives of industry shall be appointed by the director after he or she has consulted with representatives of industrial, commercial, and trade groups and associations in this state. The representatives of labor shall be appointed by the director after he or she has consulted with representatives of labor organizations in this state. The public representative shall be nominated jointly by the representatives of labor and industry. If the representatives of labor and industry have not nominated a public representative within thirty (30) days after their appointment, then the director shall instead both nominate and appoint the public representative on the commission. The appointment of the members of the commission shall be made by the director with the approval of the governor for a term of five (5) years. For their initial appointment, the representatives of industry shall be appointed for terms of one year and three (3) years, respectively; the representatives of labor shall be appointed for terms of two (2) years and four (4) years, respectively; and the public representative shall be appointed for a term of five (5) years. Vacancies shall be filled by appointments made in the same manner as the original appointments. A member of the commission may only be removed by the governor for cause. The director of labor and training and the director of health shall be ex-officio members of the commission, but shall have no vote and shall serve without additional compensation. Each ex-officio member may designate a subordinate from within his or her department as a substitute member of the commission by filing a written notice of that substitution in the office of the secretary of state. The industrial code commission for safety and health is abolished.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-22