EMB145 WINGTIP STRIKE ON TAXI FROM PARKING WHILE BEING MARSHALLED AT EWR.

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ON A SCHEDULED PAX FLT; OUR ACFT'S L WINGTIP STRUCK A SET OF BOARDING STAIRS WHILE WE WERE BEING MARSHALLED OUT OF REMOTE RAMP PARKING SPOT BY GND PERSONNEL. AT OUR HUB ACFT ARE NORMALLY BOARDED USING PAX BUSSES AND LIGHT WT AIRSTAIR GND EQUIP. AFTER CLOSING THE CABIN DOOR; THESE STAIRS ARE TO BE MANUALLY PULLED BACK BY RAMP PERSONNEL CLR OF THE AIRPLANE'S WINGSPAN. ON THIS OCCURRENCE; ALL CHKLISTS AND ACTIONS REQUIRED BY COMPANY PROCS; SAFETY; AND COMMON SENSE; WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE FLC PRIOR TO ENG START AND ACFT MOVEMENT. THIS INCLUDED VISUAL CONFIRMATION TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY THAT BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT WERE CLR. FROM MY POS ON THE L SEAT; THE AIRSTAIR POS RELATIVE TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT WAS IDENTICAL TO WHERE THEY ALWAYS ARE AND I JUDGED IT SAFE TO PROCEED WITH GND PERSONNEL GUIDANCE. IT ALSO MUST BE NOTED THAT ON OUR ACFT THE ACTUAL WINGTIP AREA IS ONLY VISIBLE FROM THE FLT DECK; WITH SHOULDER STRAPS OFF; AND BY CRANING THE NECK MORE THAN 120 DEGS WHILE LOOKING OUT THE LOWER REAR PORTION OF THE SIDE WINDOW. THIS IS OF COURSE IMPOSSIBLE DURING TAXI OPS. OBVIOUSLY; FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT; THE STAIRS WERE PROBABLY LEFT WITHIN THE ACFT'S WINGSPAN BY 1-2 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT ON THIS RAMP POS MEASURED AND PAINTED EQUIP SAFE AREAS ARE NOT PROVIDED; ONGOING CONSTRUCTION SEVERELY IMPACTS RAMP SPACE; AND RAMP LIGHTING MAY HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENT DURING THE PREVAILING NIGHT CONDITIONS. ALSO; WINGWALKERS ARE NOT NORMALLY PROVIDED DURING PWR OUTS. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IN MY OPINION WAS COMPLETE INATTN BY THE MARSHALLER. PRIOR TO ENG START HE POSITIONED HIMSELF AT THE NORMAL LOCATION DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT ON THE TAXI OUT LINE. FROM THIS POS HE HAD A DIRECT AND UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE TOTAL WINGSPAN AND THE AIRSTAIRS. AFTER ENG START WAS COMPLETED AND THE READY TO TAXI SIGNAL WAS GIVEN; THE MARSHALLER DIRECTED US TO PROCEED STRAIGHT OUT ON THE TAXI LINE. UNKNOWN TO THE FLC THE IMPACT MUST HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN 1/2 ACFT LENGTH MOVEMENT. THE MARSHALLER MUST HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTN AT ALL AS HE WAS IN A PERFECT POS TO SEE THE ENTIRE WING AND THE IMPENDING MISHAP WITH THE STAIRS AND HAD AMPLE TIME TO STOP US AS WE MOVED VERY SLOWLY. HE INSTEAD MARSHALLED US FORWARD ANOTHER 1-2 ACFT LENGTHS BEFORE INDICATING A TURN AND WAVING US OFF AS EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE FLC WAS THEN ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY ALERTED BY OTHER PERSONS ON COMPANY RADIO FREQ AND BY THE FLT ATTENDANT; WHO HAD BEEN ALERTED BY A PAX; THAT A GND MISHAP MAY HAVE OCCURRED. WE THEN RETURNED TO A DIFFERENT PARKING SPOT AND COMPLETED THE PARKING CHKLIST. MAINT PERSONNEL WERE SUMMONED AND INSPECTION REVEALED INCONSEQUENTIAL WEAR TO THE L STROBE FLASH GUARD AND AN APPROX 2 INCH SCRATCH ON THE WINGTIP LEADING EDGE. A DISCREPANCY WAS ENTERED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. AFTER MINOR DRESSING OUT OF THE SCRATCH AND MINIMUM DELAY THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC BY MAINT PERSONNEL. I BELIEVE THE MARSHALLER USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN DECIDING TO MARSHAL US OUT WITHOUT PAYING ATTN TO THE AIRSTAIR POS RELATIVE TO THE WINGSPAN. ALTHOUGH NOT AN EXCUSE FOR THIS COMPLETE INATTN; RAMP SAFETY AND RAMP PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE WOULD BE ENHANCED IF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS NOTED ARE REMEDIED BY THE COMPANY. I FEEL THE FLC PERFORMED OUR DUTY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER; I DO INTEND TO CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE COMPANY OFFICERS TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS NOTED. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL USE EVEN GREATER VIGILANCE; AND IF FACED WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES; CALL FOR WINGWALKERS ON PWROUTS.