"We say enterprises should be held responsible for workers' diseases if the businesses cannot prove that the workers are not in their employ and if they fail to prove that their company did not cause the problem," said Tang.

"I hope simplified procedures will help avoid similar struggles to the one of Zhang Haichao."

In 2009, Zhang underwent a thoracotomy, an operation in which his chest was opened so samples of his lungs could be taken, so he could prove he had contracted pneumoconiosis, a debilitating lung disease. A government-designated hospital in Henan province had previously insisted he simply had tuberculosis.

Zhang eventually received about $95,000 in compensation from his employer, a brick factory in the province where he had worked for three years.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that, in 2009, around 200 million laborers worked in hazardous environments, of which 18,128 had reported suffering from an occupational diseases.

Current laws ensure the country's work injury insurance fund covers treatment fees and offers subsidies to those with occupational diseases as long as that person's employer paid for health insurance. If the employer did not pay for health insurance, the employer should be responsible for all fees.