As far as I know there is no other danger to fusion drives other that the exhaust. I've heard other's say they don't allow it in their settings due to the plant itself giving off deadly radiation, but I believe this is one of those time that qualify as (IMTU).
I have a question of my own. Why would the drive need to spew out radioactive exhaust. Current day reactors use a closed loop system to cool the reactor. If I remember right, coolant water (radioactive) is sent along pipes to heat water(non radioactive) into steam this steam spins turbines to make electricity. This steam water is then cooled and the process started all over again. My question, could not non radioactive liquid hydrogen be heated up in the same way as the non radioactive water, then squirted out the back as clean exhaust?
A second question I just thought of. Can a fusion drive equipped ship land on a world without microwaving everyone by just shutting off its fusion drive and using an auxiliary drive? Or does no-one want to take the chance that some knucklehead might flip the wrong switch and no landing is a safety measure?
The fuel consumption is correct (at least I haven't seen any errata contradicting it)
If you don't mind going off the FF+S range check out Missouri Archives---Alternate Thrusters. I found one that is quite interesting called Heat Jet. This is apparently a real world thruster that NASA is/was working on. Its low-tech (8-9) acts much like HEPlaR, but the fuel costs make you dream of HEPlaR.
Let me know what you think of it, as I've been thinking of allowing it as a auxiliary drive for fusion drives.
PS: If you want to leave the possibility of irradiating the crew as a danger how far from the engine would you need to be to be safe. I'm thinking of the space ship used in the movie "Mars". A big honking engine aft with a thin frame running to a command deck? forward and a revolving living quarters next to the bridge. Leave it to Hollywood to come up with a cool design for a ship.