Prayboy, the answer is very simple: as stated before, there are recommendations only, not legal requirements!
One more point: I always laugh when people say they religiously believe in SOP and not in Captain X or Y: who do you think wrote the SOP?
The two are often THE SAME, and one day the new boss in charge will implement - in writing in the SOP - his own personal habits, ignorance and defects!
... and there will always be new guys ready to sware that's THE Bible, only because that's on paper!
HAHAHAHA!
Always think with your own head, my friend, and don't forget Adolf Heichmann was a PERFECT rule follower.