Having caused a lab accident, how to mend my relationships with fellow students?
It results in a lot of unnecessary administrative work and greatly slows down our research progress.


If you do something, intentional or unintentional, that causes more work for others, you are going to be resented. In my opinion, the best way to minimize the resentment is if you are seen as being proactive in taking on your share of the new work. I would suggest you step up and take on a significant portion of any new group work related to the fire. If labs need to be move/rearranged to comply with fire safety standards, it would be best if you came in on the weekends/nights to help people. If the department needs a fire safety officer or first aiders, it would be in your best interest to volunteer. If a new committee has been formed to deal with fire safety compliance, ask to be on it.